The Aftermath Of You

... last chapter ...

The window burst to life on Toni's computer, leaving an uninterrupted view of Lulu Handcock's forehead. 

"Can you hear me?" Her mother hollered.  Toni could hear Lulu's fingers whacking wildly at the keyboard.  "Is this thing working?"

"Yeah.  But you need to get back from the microphone.  You're too loud."

"I need to get back from Rome?  What are you talking about?  I thought you were in Buenos Aires?"

"No!  I said get back from the microphone you're too-! Oh, don't worry.  How are things?"

"Great.  We went to Wayne Kerr's birthday party last night."

"Oh."

"He's married."  Her mother's hypnotic eyes appeared on screen momentarily before - once again - being replaced by forehead.  Toni had been away for so long she wasn't sure what kind of message she was supposed to derive from that.  That he'd moved on quickly because she left little impact on anyone's life, or that she and Danny should be rushing home to get married?  

"Good for him."

"She's a pretty girl." Pause.  "She has two kids."

"Oh." 

"She sells cosmetics."  

Toni knew she shouldn't rise to the bait, but she couldn't resist.  "My travel blog is going well."  Better than well... Toni was getting paid!

Lulu's forehead assumed a disinterested expression.  "Oh."

"And I put my book about Jack on Wattpad."

"Granny Smith was telling me," Lulu replied.

"Did she?"  How come her Grandma could work an app on a smartphone when it had taken Toni half of the morning to change the channel on the hotel's TV?  "What does she think?"

"She said there weren't many comments."

"Well, some people aren't that talkative."  Unlike certain people Toni knew.  "Instead of commenting some people vote ... sort of like a silent way of saying thanks."

"Granny Smith said that you were asking for votes the whole way through!"

"I wasn't asking.  Just gently reminding."

"Did you get many?"

"Not really,"  Toni admitted.  "Probably about four percent of my readers."  

"Four percent?  God!  Lucky you didn't give up your day job."

"I didn't have a day job."  Unless lying on a battered couch consisted of regular employment.  "But people are reading it.  That's the main thing.  And I'm bringing about awareness for..."  Toni drifted off.  There was a lump in her throat, she still struggled to articulate it.  "God!"

"Awareness for God?"  Her mother's voice was confused.  "Which book are we talking about, here?"

"No.  Not God.  Oh never mind.  Danny is doing well.  He's found a little bit of work to tide us over."

"Is he struggling with the Portuguese?"

"What?"

"All those tradesmen in Buenos Aires speaking Portuguese?"

"Spanish, Mum."

"Same thing."

"Not really."  If only her mother was right.  Then she would have been able to make it all around South America with only one dictionary.  "He is doing work for a few Expats, so he doesn't need to be fluent."  Even so, he had a fairly strong knowledge of every part of the human anatomy in Spanish, so he could keep his name calling original.  She'd been called everything from Cabeza to Colita.  

"How's Jayden?"

"Loving the ice cream."  He was resting sleepily on the couch, a half-eaten cone in his hand, watching Spanish cartoons.  She'd have to grab it out of his hand soon before it ended up on the floor.

"Is he missing his friends?"

Not really.  "A little.  How is Granny Smith?"

"Good.  She has decided she needs to learn new things, so she got a book out of the library with Philippine Recipes."

"Do they taste good?"  

"It would... but she overcooks everything, so her dentures don't get stuck in the vegetables."

"I miss her."  

"You'll be seeing her in the new year."

"Jayden!"  Toni gasped.  He'd dropped the cone onto a high-quality couch, spreading a goo of sickly pink ice cream everywhere.  "Gotta go, Mum.  Jayden just fell asleep and there is ice cream everywhere.  I'll skype later when Danny is home."

"We'll probably be asleep."

"Oh.  Tomorrow then?"

"Wayne Kerr has invited us to see the renovations on his new house."

"Ok.  Well, some other time."

After disconnecting and scrubbing the spill Toni opened up her laptop and found the very last chapter of her story.  She hit the italics and started typing.  Gazing at the words for some time she hit PUBLISH, and then slammed the laptop shut with a smile.

Dear Reader,

I applaud you for getting the whole way through this book.  You read through the slow beginning and then plowed on through the dark gritty bits with the zest of a true Watt Pad Warrior!  To all those wonderful readers who voted, commented or followed me:  THANK YOU!  Writing 50,000 words is no easy task.  There have been long hours spent at the keyboard when I could have been in bed instead.

I really enjoyed sharing this book with you.  If you enjoyed reading it (and you haven't already) could you PLEASE VOTE.  (Yes, Mum... I'm begging!)   

Lots of love and kisses,

Toni