Empowerment. Engagement. Authenticity.
Rangers Lodge Saga - Caught Between Realities
“Kristen,” Adam read turmoil in the eyes that
reluctantly flickered to his. “talk to me.”
“You my therapist now?” He simply held her gaze until she gave in. “I
got some advice this afternoon that took the ground out from under me.”
“From your boyfriend or your confidante?” Adam’s posture bristled at
both possibilities.
“One told me to go to the dance alone. One says give you a chance.”
Adam grinned. “Which one should I thank?”
God, men frustrate me!” Kristen burst out. “They either expect you to do
all the work like Adrian does or throw you completely off balance by
being insanely attentive and easy to talk to like you are.” She made a
disgusted sound in her throat. “Or they lay out the solution in black
and white, as if it’s ever that simple, and put the ball in your court.
Maybe it’s me complicating things by wanting to be happy,” she mumbled,
her rant suddenly losing steam.
Adam bit back a smile at the backhanded compliment he’d heard somewhere
in those words. “Not sure who you’re more mad at,” he wondered aloud,
carefully pushing her to let the rest of her tension out. He could see
her struggling to rein it in.
“Ugh.” Kristen rose and paced to the window, her shoulders slumping.
“Things are so much simpler when all I focus on is making other people
happy. How did you put it?” she mocked. “ When I cater to other people’s
issues.”
Adam stood up, shoving his hands in his pants pockets to keep from
pulling her into his arms. “When we’re together…are you just making me
happy?”
Kristen whirled to face him, exasperation flashing in her eyes. “No,
with you, I don’t seem to think at all. It’s like being in an alternate
reality. It feels so good and then I come crashing back to earth and it
sucks. I can’t…it’s sapping all my energy to exist in both realities.“
Adam braced his arms on the sill on either side of her. “Don’t,” he
pleaded hoarsely. “Don’t shut me out.”
Despondently, Kristen rested her forehead on his chest. “I’m the one who
has to change things and I’m not strong enough to do it.”
Adam tipped her chin up. “I’m not giving up on you that easily. We’re
going to change things together.”
(c) Kristy Kassie, 2016
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Inspiration for Writing - Advice
Sometimes a piece of advice can be the
inspiration for a story or scene. In the scene above, a woman is given
two pieces of conflicting advice, which leads her to deal with a
relationship dilemma.
