News about BFF
Regarding BFF, well.... it’s done.
I know we all figured those words would never come. If you’d asked me two weeks ago if I might possibly get it wrapped up in the next little while, I would’ve taken your temperature. Although I felt lots of angst and guilt about leaving it, still, BFF was the furtherest thing from my mind.
Then I got a message from Joanne (Bagel1) a couple of days before my birthday with bad news. She wanted to give me a bit of a heads up on the sad news she was about to announce to our community, that Carole, Bmshirts, was sick and her life was winding down.
Carole has been a faithful reader of my stories for a long time. Our relationship took a turn towards the special several months ago when, through some comments she made, I ascertained that she was an older lady, closer to my mom’s age than mine. (Something about having lost her husband of over 50 years was a big clue for me!)
Anyway, just knowing that someone my mom’s age was reading and enjoying my stories was a huge boost to me, because the subject matter of my writing created a huge wedge between my mother and me, and basically ruined our relationship for two years. I love my parents dearly, as you all know, and I regret the lost time with them, yet I don’t regret my writing. I love my stories and am thankful for the fact that Brokeback Mountain got me off my duff and into writing.
Knowing that Carole was my mom’s age, and yet really enjoyed my stories and appreciated my talent, gave me back a bit of confidence that I wasn’t a bad person. I have always valued Carole’s input and enjoyed reading what she thought about my characters. It made me so sad to hear that her life was suddenly on the wane, and I told Joanne, who speaks to her regularly, to give her my best wishes.
Joanne sent me a message back a few hours later saying that Carole was so glad to hear from me and that she really wished I’d finish BFF. She wanted to know how it ended.
Well hell.
So if you’re a BFF fan, and if you still have a hankering to know how it ends, you have Carole to thank for what you are about to receive: another eight chapters of BFF, plus a two-part epilogue, which I’ll be posting on Saturday afternoon, right about the time that Carole should be opening her FedEx delivery. I’ll probably even get to talk to the pilot tonight who’ll be flying it out to her. I think that’s kinda cool!
Since I know that Carole loves - and is loved by - so many people in the community, I plan to copy comments next week and send them out to her. I think she would enjoy reading what ya’ll have to say about the end of the story, the end that she made sure I gave you, just by asking nicely. Timing is everything, I guess.
Hugs all around. Love S!