This Isn't Working Out

Everyone Has a Story

"I still say it's a cute story." Elizabeth's voice sprang out of the speakerphone as Lily vaguely attempted to straighten up her apartment. "If you guys did end up together, it would be the perfect anecdote for your wedding!"

"Does something short-circuit when you get married? That is not a cute story! I got kicked in the head by a goat!" Lily rolled her eyes. "Not, I admit, that it was Ben's fault. It's the universe's way of telling me that I am not meant to exercise. I should stay inside and write. Or read. Or maybe watch a Real Housewives episode."

"So, are you giving up on the training sessions?"

"No way!" Lily said, moving smaller piles of books into larger piles and surveying the results. "I never turn down a freebie. We have another session this week and he swears no barnyard animals will be involved."

Lily could hear Elizabeth cover up the microphone and, in a muffled voice, say to someone, "She's seeing him again this week!"

Lily picked up the phone, rolling her eyes, "Is that Chris? Are you two still obsessing about my love life? It's a sickness, I tell you."

Elizabeth returned, speaking clearly again, "It's only because we love you and want you to be happy."

"I am happy, and I love you too."

After talking to Elizabeth, Lily looked around her apartment and decided this was as organized as it was going to get. She knew she couldn't put off her daily call with Maribel any longer. The woman's life story continued to progress very slowly with an astounding amount of details.

As soon as she answered the phone, Maribel picked up exactly where she had left off the day before. "But then my sister decided she wanted to wear the green dress to school instead of the red dress. Which I still say looked horrible. With her complexion, green just washed her out. And then our father said..."

"Maribel!"

"Yes, dear"

"While I love all your stories, it's like I've been telling you. We just have to move things along. I've only budgeted so much time to work on your book."

"Well, I'm happy to increase what I'm paying you."

"That would be great, but still, I can't write this one book forever."

"Do you have other memoirs lined up?"

"Not yet, but I'm sure I will."

"I've been reading the other ones you've ghostwritten. They're very good, you know. I've even started on your girl detective series. They are wonderful. When will you do more of those?"

Lily exhaled sharply. "Um, I've been working on some, but it's hard to find the time."

"Well, if it's what you want, don't let it slip away from you. My sister Cristabel always wanted to be a dancer and..."

It was an hour later when the conversation finished. Lily typed up some notes from the talk, trying to pull out the most interesting parts of the stories Maribel had told. There was a nagging sense of guilt from the things Maribel had said, so when Lily was done transcribing, she opened up the book she was working on for the first time in a while.

She read over what she had written for the first time in several years. It really was good. She believed in this book, but then again, she had believed in her other series, and where had that gotten her? She was happy ghostwriting other people's books, but sometimes she missed just writing for herself. She sighed wistfully and closed the document.