Another piece of Chapter 22--one more to go

Did any of you catch the Twitter Chat last night? It was fast and chaotic, but strangely addicting. I think a different moderator style could lesson the chaos. Afterwards, I thought, wow, I'd love to host one of those for my CAYMAN SUMMER-ites. Wouldn't that be fun? I know people are either crazy busy next week or done finals at last and having a break--mom readers versus student readers! I might do a chat Tuesday night from 9:30-10 PM MST. And I could schedule one earlier in the day, too,  say 4 PM - 4:30 PM for followers in different time zones or on other continents. To chat, you just have to all used the same hash tag, #LIV2WRIT, in your tweets. Then everyone following can see the comments. I'm going to get some advice from the author who runs #YALITCHAT, but I think that's all there is to it. If you're not a tweeter, but are on FaceBook, be sure to friend me and I'll use tweetdeck so at least all my posts will go up on my wall. If you open your browser to my wall and comment on my posts, I can comment back.

We can talk about CAYMAN SUMMER and jump up and down over SING ME TO SLEEP's nomination. Bring burning questions. If this goes well, I'll invite author friends to join us for more chats. You'll need to follow me @liv2writ to follow the chat. I'll make a finalized announcement post tomorrow--so you can link to it and spread the word.

I updated the contest post with "thank you" entries for votes, posts, tweets, and all manner of things I'm sure you'll dream up to further SING ME TO SLEEPS Goodread's Choice Award campaign. Thank you for all your help.

I couldn't sleep after that exhiliarating chat, so I stayed up until 3 AM sending out press releases. I wrote this short scene yesterday and was going to add more, but I'm brain dead. My fingers like lead as I typed it up.

This is just the middle of the chapter. Leesie's poem will be next.

MICHAEL’S DIVE LOG – VOLUME 10

Dive Buddy: Leesie           

Date:  06/17

Dive #:

Location: Grand Cayman

Dive Site:

Weather Condition:

Water Condition:

Depth:  

Visibility: 

Water Temp: 

Bottom Time:  

Comments:

            Leesie’s quiet, calm as we drive home. Before we left the church, Pres. X rattled off a list of what she needs to do. Assignments. In real life, he’s a teacher. Grade school principal. He does the church stuff as a volunteer. Their whole church runs like that.

            First on the list. Leesie’s supposed to “pray until her knees wear out.” And I’m supposed to pray with her.

            Second, read her scriptures. I saved them for her. She hasn’t unpacked them. Don’t know if she even saw them. They’re in a side pouch of her duffel bag with all the sheets of poetry I scavenged off the side of that mountain. Maybe she’s read for those now, too.

            Third, go to church this Sunday. He said she could take the bread and water thing they do. That shocked her. She figured she wasn’t “worthy.”

            Fourth, move out of the apartment. That’s the big one. He’s gong to try to find her a place tomorrow. We’re meeting him at the church with Leesie’s packed bags. I wanted to protest that one—but with everything going on at that apartment with Seth and Dani and Gabriel and Alex, I have to agree. She needs to get out of  there.

            The last assignment? Apologize to everyone she’s hurt.

            She starts with me. “I’m sorry.” That brings tears close to the surface again. “If I really loved you”—her lip trembles—I wouldn’t have made it so hard for you.”

            I tilt my head and so does she until they touch. “You don’t have to go there.”

            Her hands cling on my driving arm. “I do. I was awful. But I do love you—even if I didn’t act like it. I’m sorry.”

            “You are ten times forgiven.” My eye moves from the road to her eye and flicks back. “Am I doing it right?”

            She kisses my arm.

            She hangs on me like that all the rest of the way home.

            When we get back to the apartment, she takes her phone out on the balcony where the signal is best and keys in a phone number she knows by heart. “Hi, Mom. It’s Leesie.”

            She pulls the sliding door shut and turns away.