The Living Room
Page 41
Amy was able to share the events of the past twenty-four hours. Natalie, whose dam still held a lot of water, listened, nodded, and cried.
“I know every disaster in life can’t be avoided,” Amy said when she finished. “Terrible things happen to good people every day. But what hit me after breakfast this morning was not how bad this was, but how good God was to keep it from being worse.”
“Yeah, that probably happens more than any of us realize,” Natalie said and smiled slightly. “You know, you sound like Ms. Burris.”
“Oh.” Amy’s eyes brightened. “I went by to see her after I was fired. Let me tell you the rest of the story about her and Sonny Dominick.”
Follow-up articles in the newspaper confirmed Greg Ryan as an alias used by Lawrence Kelly. Because of her age, Megan’s name wasn’t printed, but an ongoing investigation by the police confirmed that more girls were affected by the scandal. Molly Prichard and two girls in the eleventh grade came forward with stories consistent with being drugged by the teacher. Tragically, Kelly sold pictures of the girls that were posted in dark corners of the Internet. The photos would be evidence at Kelly’s trial if he refused to plead guilty. The deeds of darkness would be brought to light.
Students and staff at the high school and people from the community rallied around the victims in an overwhelming outpouring of sympathy and support. When evil raised its head, good people rose up, too.
Chris Lance called Amy twice more to check on her. There was a tenderness in the young lawyer’s voice that signaled a change in his heart.
“Oh, and it doesn’t look good for Natasha in the Dominick case,” Chris said toward the end of the second call. “The treating neurologist refused to completely disagree with Dr. Kelly, so Mr. Phillips is going to meet with the lawyers for Mr. Dominick’s children and begin settlement negotiations. They may even toss a decent bone to the illegitimate children once paternity is established.”
“You shouldn’t be telling me about this. I no longer work at the firm.”
“But you’re still bound by the rules of confidentiality for what you do know.” Chris paused. “And I thought maybe you could pray that it will work out. There’s plenty of money for everyone.”
“It’s not always about winning.”
“No, it’s not.”
Midweek Amy went to see Ms. Burris. They walked into the sunroom. The spring birds were thick around the multiple feeders in an explosion of color.
“Thanks for inviting me,” Amy said as soon as they were seated.
“You’re special,” Ms. Burris replied. “To the Lord and to me.”
The elderly woman’s words made Amy think about the trip to the living room where she heard again about her place at God’s banqueting table. She told Ms. Burris about it.
“The following day I was so happy. Then the situation with Megan blew up our world more than anything else could have.”
She told Ms. Burris about the photographs, a fact left out of the newspaper articles. The older woman shook her head sadly.
“The timing of it all makes me wonder.”
“Maybe you needed the dream before Megan’s ordeal,” Ms. Burris said, wiping her eyes with a tissue.
“Why?”
“So you could face it with strength and faith because of what you’d heard from the Lord.”
“I don’t think so,” Amy said doubtfully. “I was in total panic mode.”
“In your mind and emotions,” Ms. Burris replied, then pointed to Amy’s heart. “But not in there.”
Amy started to object but stopped. Scenes from the law office and the hospital flashed through her mind. She’d not recognized it at the time, but within her spirit was a seed of confidence in God’s goodness. Hidden, she’d not acknowledged it.
“You may be right,” Amy admitted. “But I wish I’d known about it.”
“Next time you will.”
“Will there be a next time?”
“There always is, and we’re going to start talking to the Lord about it in advance.”
Ms. Burris bowed her head and began to pray.
Driving home from Ms. Burris’s house, Amy felt encouraged. Her phone vibrated. It was Bernie Masters.
“Have you been praying for me?” the agent asked as soon as Amy answered.
“Uh, no. I’ve been receiving prayer myself.”
“You should have included me, but I got through the operation okay without your help. A doctor who looked about sixteen years old put stents in a couple of places where some hot dogs with chili, onions, and mustard piled on them got stuck in my arteries. He wants me to give up hot dogs, but I can’t do it. Instead, I’m going to cut back to mustard only.”
“Maybe you should switch to tofu dogs. I didn’t know you were sick.”
“What? I told my niece to call all my clients. That’s what you get when you don’t pay someone who’s working for you. Speaking of payment, did you get that monstrous check from the publisher for The Everlasting Arms?”
“Yes, and it came at a good time. I lost my job at the law firm.”
“Don’t tell me the details unless you need a shoulder to cry on,” he said.
“I’m all cried out.”
“Good, then get back to work as a writer. Dave Coley has been bumped up the ladder at the publishing company. They’ve given him one of those jobs with a fancy title, but all he’ll do is go to meetings and listen to other people who are actually doing the work. Anyway, Cecilia called, and she wants to talk about the Deeds of Deception book.”
“It’s Deeds of Darkness.”
“Okay, but you know the title may change. The publishers like to control that stuff. Cecilia looked at your proposal and wants to know if you’re willing to do something with the main character that shows how God can be with someone in the midst of a horrible tragedy. She thinks you’re a fantastic talent and wants to keep on working with you. If you’ll consider her suggestions, she thinks there’s a shot they might want to exercise the option. Basically, she wants you to up the God factor a few notches.”
“I can do that. I know exactly what surviving a tragedy feels like.”
“Don’t we all? Put something together and get it to me while the iron is in the fire. They haven’t named Dave’s replacement, which gives Cecilia a window of opportunity to do something on her own before another bean counter takes over.”
“Will the end of the week be soon enough?”
“Tomorrow would be better, but if that’s the best you can do, I’ll have to take it.”
Amy turned into her neighborhood. Natalie’s street was on her left.
“Also, I’ve cowritten a children’s book with a friend of mine who’s an artist,” she said. “Would you be interested in taking a look at it?”
“A kids’ book? There’s not much money in those unless you go heavy with the horror stuff. I don’t know why, but kids like to be scared out of their heads right before they go to sleep. Or maybe it’s the parents who—”
“This is about three children on a long summer vacation at the beach,” Amy interrupted. “The watercolor illustrations are fantastic.”
“Hmm,” Bernie replied. “Sounds old-fashioned, but that can be a way to pitch it. Send it along, and I’ll take a look. I have a buddy who has a few contacts in that market. He’d split the agent fee with me, and I need the revenue. These heart doctors complain a lot, but they make tons of money.”
“I’m glad you survived your surgery.”
“Yeah, me, too. I still can’t believe my niece dropped the ball. I’m going to have to call everyone I know. Bye.”
Amy smiled as she placed the phone on the passenger seat of the car. She no longer felt like an orphan.
That evening she went upstairs from the family room later than usual and noticed that Megan’s light was still on. It was a school night, and Megan should have already gone to sleep. Her door was closed, and Amy knocked.
“Come in.”
Megan was sitting in
the middle of her bed with her laptop beside her.
“What’s going on?” Amy asked. “It’s late.”
“I met with Ms. Robbins today, and she suggested I start keeping a journal of my thoughts and feelings.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“It’s private,” Megan added quickly.
“I understand. For years I’ve kept a journal that no one sees, not even your dad.”
“Is it on your laptop in the writing room?”
“Yes, and you don’t know my password.”
“You always use something with my birthday in it and Dad or Ian’s name.”
“And I’m going to change the password tomorrow.” Amy smiled.
“To Ian’s birthday?”
“Or something so strange and bizarre that no one can guess it.”
Megan looked down at her computer screen.
“Something strange happened to me,” she said. “And I think I should talk to you about it.”
Amy’s heart sank. She had valiantly fought against the fear of darker disclosures but knew this moment might come. She grasped the seed of faith within her heart and sat down on the edge of Megan’s bed.
“I’m listening.”
Megan lowered the screen of the laptop.
“It’s hard to describe,” Megan said. “But I think you’ll understand better than anybody in the world.”
“I’ll try,” Amy said, hardly daring to breathe.
Megan looked up into Amy’s eyes. But instead of a wound, Amy saw wonder. Megan spoke slowly and with deep conviction.
“Last night I had a dream that was different from any other dream I’ve had in my entire life. Mom, it was so real, more real than us sitting here. And in the dream, I went to a place …”
reading group guide
1. Why do you think Amy’s mother didn’t want her to tell anyone about her dreams? What effect did that have on Amy as she grew into the woman she is? How do you think Amy’s life would have been different if her mother encouraged and supported her?
2. “If their dilemma had taken place in one of her books, they would have engaged in a heartfelt discussion about their unwavering love for each other and trust in God’s faithfulness. But life doesn’t always imitate art.” Do you agree with what Amy thinks here after a hard discussion with Jeff about finances? How do our choices of what to read and watch influence our real lives and relationships?
3. Amy’s life as an author isn’t exactly what she was expecting, and the realities of life forced her back to her old job. Was there anything she could have done to maintain her freedom as a writer without a day job? Have you ever struggled with the same dilemma: dream vs. reality?
4. When Amy told Natalie about the dream she had where Noah was injured on a field trip, she almost couldn’t help herself from blurting out what she saw, then immediately wished she could take the words back. Have you ever had that same uncontrollable urge to say something to someone? How did it turn out for you and the recipient of your message? Why do you think Amy regretted speaking up? How would the course of the novel have changed had she kept her dream to herself?
5. Jeff says, “It’s important for Megan to know her father cares about what she does, where she goes, and who she hangs out with.” Describe the relationship between Jeff and Megan. How is it different from Amy’s relationship with Megan? How do those relationships change over the course of the novel?
6. While Amy’s visions from the living room inspired her first two novels, they hadn’t really transferred to her everyday life until her vision about Noah. Why do you think they started changing and becoming more and more important?
7. After Amy shared the synopsis of Deeds of Darkness with Ms. Burris and Natalie, she felt deflated by their reaction. Why do you think they weren’t enthusiastic about it? Have you ever left a meeting with a friend feeling the same way? After time had passed, did your feelings change?
8. Amy received visions and warnings about her friend’s family and clients at work, but when it came to her own family, she had no explicit warnings about the dangers facing them. Why do you think she didn’t have visions about Ian’s four-wheeler accident or Megan’s ordeal?
9. When Megan started showing signs that something was wrong—sleeping so deeply that she didn’t hear her parents knock—what did you think was the cause? Did you think Amy and Jeff responded well? How would you have reacted in their situation? Were you surprised by the cause of her strange behavior?
10. Did you learn something new about the life of an author or the publishing industry from reading The Living Room? What surprised you the most? Do you think all authors are like Amy and have similar experiences?
acknowledgments
Thanks to Allen Arnold and Natalie Hanemann for encouraging me to write about a novelist. Special appreciation to my wife, Kathy, for protecting my creative time. And thanks to Daisy Hutton, Ami McConnell, and Deborah Wiseman for shepherding this book to completion.
about the author
Robert Whitlow is the best-selling author of legal novels set in the South and winner of the Christy Award for Contemporary Fiction. He received his JD with honors from the University of Georgia School of Law where he served on the staff of the Georgia Law Review.
Table of Contents
Cover Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Twenty-Three
Twenty-Four
Twenty-Five
Twenty-Six
Twenty-Seven
Twenty-Eight
Twenty-Nine
Thirty
Thirty-One
Thirty-Two
Thirty-Three
Thirty-Four
Thirty-Five
Thirty-Six
Thirty-Seven
Thirty-Eight
Thirty-Nine
Reading Group Guide
Acknowledgments
About the Author