The Editors Dilemma - What Happened Next

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This is a sequel to “The Editors Dilemma”

https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/fiction/47384/editors-dilema

The tale resumes at the Hotel in Cynthia’s room after Cynthia has poured a cup of tea for Jennie.

Jenny sat down totally stunned by the person who was in front of her.

“I don’t know what to say.”

Cynthia smiled.

“I know that both my manuscript and how I look now is a bit of a shock but this is me now. Oh, and the final three chapters of it are on the table.”

“Cynthia…?”

“Look Jenny, I know that it is not what I normally write but I had to tell my story. You are my editor and I want to keep it that way.”

“I won’t be able to finish editing this before I have my son,” replied Jenny tapping her stomach.

Cynthia smiled.

“You are looking very well considering your condition and yes, I totally understand about the baby. I’m not just making that up or saying for the sake of saying it. Before… Well my partner… You would know if you have read my book.”

Cynthia took a sip of tea.

“However, there is no rush to publish it. I have two other more conventional stories finished and another one nearly completed so when you return from having your baby, I’m sure that we can pick up where we left off.”

Jenny sighed.

“That’s the problem. I’m not planning on returning to work. I want to see my baby grow up and the only way I can do that is to give up work.”

This reply shocked Cynthia. She had been used to Jenny editing her stories ever since she became successful.

“Can’t you work from home?”

Jenny shook her head.

“A few years ago, we were taken over by a Venture Capitalist. Almost the first thing they did was to remove the crèche, cut maternity leave and stop home working. All part of their cost cutting. That and piling a few dozen million dollars of debt onto our books…”

“That is, to put it bluntly, a bummer”
Cynthia thought for a moment.

“Jenny, as you probably know, I am under contract to your publishing house for one more book. If we can work something out to keep you as my editor, I am open to moving to a new publisher. If I did, would you be open to coming with me?”

Jenny sat there once again stunned.

“I don’t know what to say,” she replied after some thought.

Cynthia smiled.

“There is no rush as I said, I have one more book in the deal with your company so that will take us into the latter part of next year. By then, I will have three or even four more books ready for editing. That is beyond what I have already completed. What do you think?”

“I’m not sure why you want me. There are plenty of other editors out there.”

Cynthia laughed.

“There are indeed plenty of editors out there but none are used to my little quirks. I am sure that you will agree with me when I say that an author and an editor are a partnership. Sometimes they agree and sometimes they disagree but the ultimate aim is to put out a book that not only sells well but is readable.”

Jenny sat back and drank some of the tea. She knew that Cynthia was right.

“We have developed a way of working together through twelve books. I would really not be comfortable with anyone else. I really don’t want anyone else.”

There was a bit of a silence so Cynthia took the initiative.

“Let me guess what your reaction to my latest manuscript was. You probably thought that it was rubbish but would sell well. How close was I?”

Jenny smiled.

“Pretty close.”

“That is because we know each other quite well.”

Just then Jenny’s baby gave a kick.

“I think my son needs me to eat something,” she said as she recovered from the latest protest from her unborn baby.”

“I’ll let you get off home and look after your son to be. Please take the final parts of my book with you and do what you can before you leave. By all means turn it over to another editor who deals with Autobiographies when it is time for you to leave but please promise me that you will let me know what you decided about coming on board with me as my Editor once your son is born.”

Cynthia stood up and helped Jenny get up out of the chair.

As Jenny left the room carrying the last chapters of Cynthia’s story, Cynthia picked up an envelope and gave it to Jenny.

“This is for your son.”

“Eh?”

“It is a little something to help you out with the new baby. After all, without your hard work and dedication, neither of us would be here today.”
"This is for your ride Taxi home," Said Cynthia as she slipped Jenny a couple of twenty dollar notes.
Jennie didn't argue about the cash. She was not relishing taking the subway.


Jenny didn’t open the envelope until she arrived home. When she did, she found two checks, each for $9,900 and two one hundred-dollar bills. Jenny started to cry. She knew that she didn’t deserve it. She smiled at the sums. They were just under the Federal Reporting Limit.

Then she stopped. She looked at the checks once again and put them back in the envelope. As she did so, she muttered,

“It won’t work Cynthia. Coming on to me like that and trying to bribe me through my son. It won’t work you understand!”


Jenny went into work a more determined person than the one that had gone to take tea with Sophia the previous day.

She went to see her boss.

“I can’t be the editor for Cynthia Payne’s new book. Here are the final chapters. That’s me done.”

“Done? What do you mean?” asked her boss.

“Done means Done. Since our new owners took away most of our maternity benefits, there is no way that I’m working until my son pops his head out and even less of a chance that I’m coming back to work full time a week after giving birth.”

“I understand. But, there is nothing I can do about it,” he replied with sadness in his voice.

“I know that your hands are tied. You might like to know that Cynthia is only going to be with the house for one more book. That will be the last one as stipulated by her contract.”

“Yes, about that. Our new owners are very, very conservative. It may well be that her contract is cancelled. They may well not want a Trans writer on our books.”

Jenny was shocked but suddenly, it made sense. All the other changes since the ownership had moved to the new group all fitted together. The new owners were very, very conservative for a Vulture Capitalist.

“I’m surprised that they haven’t let me go already. After all I’m an unmarried Mother?”

Her boss, the Editor in Chief shook his head.
“I know. They wanted me to fire you, but State Law prevents discrimination like that.”

He stood up from his desk and came around to her side of it.

“Hang protocol,” he said.
The he hugged her bump and all.

“I wish you all the best for you and your son for the future. You should really consider working for Cynthia in the future. You two make a great team.”

Later that day, Jenny packed her belongings into a single box and left the Publishing House for the last time. No one even bothered to say goodbye. Since the takeover the place had almost turned into a morgue. No one smiled or joked any longer.

She got as far as the Lift before she started to cry. The place had been more like a home to her for the past six years. It had been the only job she’d had since she’d graduated from University. Now she had no job and a baby on the way.

Her last boyfriend who was the father of her son had run a mile when she told him that she was pregnant. The last she’d heard, he was working on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. She’d resigned herself to the fact that he’d never pay even a single cent in child support.


Three weeks later, Jenny gave birth to a healthy boy. She named him Amos after her father.

As she was about to leave the Hospital, she had a visitor. It was Cynthia.

“Hello Jenny, I’ve came to take you and your son home.”

“Oh! Why would you do that? Didn’t I make it clear that I am not interested in working for you?”

“Yes. Yes, you did and the message is clear and understood. Can’t someone do you a favour without you smelling a rat?”

“Oh! If that is all you want to do then I accept but just this understand?”

Cynthia just smiled back at her and began to gather up Jennie’s things leaving Jennie free to carry her son.


“You have a nice place here,” remarked Cynthia when they arrived at Jennie’s home in Queens. Jennie could only afford it because she’d inherited the place from her Grandmother and kept the ‘rent control’ agreement in place. Even so, Jennie knew in her mind that she’d have to get a job within a couple of months but she wasn’t going to tell Cynthia that.

“I see that you haven’t cashed those checks I gave you for Amos?”

“I told you then that I didn’t want them.”

“They aren’t for you. They are for your son. Use it the money for him. I know how rapidly babies grow out of clothes.”

“How? How could you know this? You can never be a Mother,” said Jennie getting slightly angry.

“How? Because I raised my brother from the age of three months until he was eight. Our Mother was… Well if you had bothered to read the last three chapters I gave you then you would have known. And yes, I can never be a Mother. That is something I will have to live with for the rest of my life,” replied Cynthia with something of a heavy heart.

The sincerity of her words hit home to Jennie.
“Ok. I get it that there are no strings attached.”

“Good. Now I’ll go out and get some groceries. I noticed that you don’t have a lot of food in especially baby food.”

Jennie started to object but realised this was the Cynthia of old. She’d experienced this sort of behaviour with ‘her author’ before. She didn’t object as just then, Amos decided that he wanted feeding.

Cynthia sat with Jennie for most of the night making sure that Amos had the right feed at the right temperature every four hours. This allowed Jennie to get some much-needed rest.

The next morning, Jeannie felt a lot better.

When she woke up she saw Cynthia holding her son and giving him his feed. She was about to tell her off when she realised that she needed someone in her life and at the moment Cynthia was the only person volunteering to help a single mother.

“Good morning sleepy,” said Cynthia without looking up from her son.

“Hello.”

Then she realised that Cynthia was still wearing the same clothes as the day before.

“Have you been there all night?”

“Yes, and don’t worry, Amos has been as good as gold. Eat and sleep and eat again, is what they do at their age and that’s what he’s done all night.”

“Did… did you get some sleep?”

“Oh, a few hours here and there but it does not matter, you were clearly tired out. I could see that when we were in the Hospital. So, I stayed. That meant that you could get a good night’s sleep and be prepared to really start your life as a Mother.”

Jennie felt happy and sad at the same time. Before she could react, Cynthia said,
“There is fresh coffee in the pot and everything is ready for a good breakfast.”

Jennie took the hint and after a brief visit to the Bathroom, she went into the kitchen to get them some breakfast. It gave her time to think.

“Breakfast is ready,” Jennie called out some fifteen minutes later.

Cynthia appeared and sat down.
“Amos has been burped and is sleeping,”

“Thanks Cynthia. I appreciate what you have done for me yesterday and today.”

Cynthia smiled.
“I’ll get out of your hair once you have had a shower and put on a bit of makeup.”

Her words hit home hard with Jennie. She rarely was seen without at least some makeup on even if the ‘some’ was just some mascara and lippy. She realised that their time working together even though they had been more than a thousand miles apart had enabled Cynthia to get to know her editor a lot more than she’d gotten to know Cynthia.

“Thanks.”

“No need to say thanks all the time. You needed help and I was on-hand to give it.”

Cynthia took a sip from the cup of Coffee that Jennie had made for her.

“I’m around for the next week then I’m going back to Barbuda. If you need anything just let me know you understand? I owe you a lot for whipping my books into shape and being totally straight and honest with me when I wrote a load of crap.”

Jennie was surprised at Cynthia’s directness. The old her was not like that at all. She remembered all the times that Cynthia had been really evasive in the past two years.

Then she realised that must have been when Cynthia was transitioning. She mentally forgave Cynthia.

“Gotcha,” replied Jennie as she ate the last of the Waffles she’d made for Breakfast. Since giving birth, she’d been ravenous. Her doctors had just smiled when she asked why that is. All they’d say was that giving birth affected women in different ways and she was not to worry about it.

Jennie had always kept to a strict diet ever since she saw the photos from her High School Prom. Despite her mother telling her that her dress was most of the reason why she looked fat, she knew otherwise. Getting pregnant had not been the plan but it had happened and she was determined to get back to her old weight and shape sooner rather than later. She looked over at Cynthia who looked fit and lean and tanned with more than a little bit of envy.

It was obvious to Jennie that life in the Caribbean agreed with Cynthia. The sound of a Fire Truck going by outside was a sharp reminder of what life was like in the ‘Big Apple’. She’d come to New York to take up the job at the publishers very much against the wishes of her parents. They saw the big city as a dark and evil place. Well, a farm on the windswept plains of North Dakota were a million miles from Queens. The last straw with her often strained relationship with her parents was getting pregnant. As God Faring people, they considered sex outside of marriage to be the work of the devil.

They hadn’t called her or accepted any calls from her since the day that she told them. Her letters were returned unopened. Suddenly, Jennie started to feel very alone.

“Penny for them?” asked Cynthia who’d noticed her gaze into the distance.

“Oh sorry. I was miles away.”

“Thinking about home?”

Jennie managed a weak smile but was thinking, ‘damm it Cynthia. How do you know me so well?’.

“Yes. Yes, I was. It all seems so far away from here,” she replied as another Fire Truck went by horn and siren working overtime.

“Why don’t you go and see them?” suggested Cynthia.

Jennie shook her head.

“They won’t want to see me. Not with Amos.”

Cynthia smiled.
“Don’t be too sure of that. There is a letter from them on the rack.”

Jennie had missed that what with all the excitement of coming home with a new baby and everything.

She picked up the envelope. Sure enough, the return address was that of her parents. Their farm was really in the middle of nowhere. She’d tell people that it was off exit 290 something of I-94. To most people that meant nothing. North Dakota could have been on another planet for all they were concerned. 169th Street in Queens was a totally different world to the Dakota Plains. Their nearest neighbours were three whole miles away not, a few feet.

Suddenly Jennie gave a little shudder.

“Are you ok?” asked Cynthia.
“Yeah. I’m fine.”

With that she stood up with a determined look on her face.

“I’m going for a shower and get dressed. Are you ok here?”

Cynthia smiled.

“Yeah. I’ll keep any eye on Amos and do the dishes.”

“You really don’t have to you know?”

“I’ll do the dishes. Now you go and have a shower. We’ll be fine right here.”

Jennie started to move and then realised that Cynthia had said ‘we’ll’. For half a second she wondered if Cynthia was planning on moving in with her then she realised that it was just a figure of speech.

Jennie smiled and left Cynthia and her son in the kitchen.

An hour later, Cynthia left Jennie holding the baby. Well, she did have Amos in her arms. Cynthia gave Jennie a light hug and walked down the steps and out onto the street.

Determinedly, she didn’t look back. If she had, she would have seen a few tears running down Jennie’s cheek.


[A week later]

“Oh, hello Cynthia. I wasn’t expecting you?” said a slightly frazzled Jennie.

Cynthia smiled and gave Jennie the bunch of flowers that she was carrying.
“These are for you and did you really think that I’d head off to sunnier climes without saying goodbye to my favourite editor now did you?”

Jennie didn’t reply but let Cynthia into her home.

The change in the place in a week was startling. It was clear to Cynthia that Jennie wasn’t coping that well.

“I’m sorry for the mess. I’ve been meaning to clear things up.”

Cynthia didn’t respond but gave Jennie a big hug.
“It does not matter. As long as you and Amos are ok, that is all that matters.”

As if Amos heard his name, he started crying.

“It is time for his feed.”

Cynthia smiled.

“Why don’t you put those flowers in some water and I’ll give him his feed. Ok?”

Reluctantly, Jennie agreed.

A few hours later, the apartment looked a lot better. Cynthia had taken control and sorted things out. An exhausted Jennie was fast asleep on her bed with a sleeping Amos beside her. The kitchen and the bathroom had been cleaned and the fridge restocked. Chaos had been sent packing for the time being at least.

Cynthia sat down and smiled. Then she picked up the phone and made a call to a number in Manhattan.

“Cynthia Sharpe here. Can I speak to Adelle?”

“Hi Adelle.”

“Yes, I’m great. I need a favour.”

“Not that big but you seem to know how to get things done in this Metropolis… Am I right? Oh, and the fact that you are my literary agent and take a percentage of everything I earn.”

“No, I’m not trying to butter you up as you so eloquently put it.”

“The favour? I’m booked on a Flight to Miami and then to Antigua the day after tomorrow. Can get it put back for a week?”

“The details are in the email of my Itinerary that I sent you three weeks ago.”

“Yes, the booking reference is there.”

“Great. Send me an email when it is done. I’ll pick it up when I get back to my Hotel.”

“Thanks Adelle, I owe you one.”

She put the phone down and smiled again.

A couple of hours later Jennie appeared still bleary eyed.
“What time is it?” she mumbled.

“Just before five.”

Suddenly, she was wide awake.
“What? Don’t you have to be on a plane or something?”

Cynthia shook her head.
“I’ve put my flights back a week. It is obvious that you are struggling here on your own.”

“I don’t… Oh…”

Jennie collapsed into a chair with her head in her hands.

“You are right. I never knew that being a mother would be so hard?”

“Then let Auntie Cynthia help you out?”

Jennie mumbled something unintelligible.

“Sorry,” she added.

“It is all right. I’ve been called all sorts of things over the years. I’ve developed a pretty thick skin.”

“Sorry.”

Cynthia smiled.

“You don’t need to keep apologising. I’ll stay here as long as you want me too.”

She reached over the table and took Jennie’s hand gently in hers. To her surprise, Jennie didn’t flinch or remove her hand.

Then she yawned.

“Sorry.”

“No need to be sorry. This is your home and I’m only the help for miles around.”

This managed a little smile from Jennie.

“I can’t pay you.”

Cynthia laughed.

“I’m not asking for anything. Your badgering and belligerency helped me to become a really successful writer rather than some jobbing author. Think of this as a partial payback for all that help. You single handedly made my second book a success. I owe you lots. This is a mere chip off that debt.”

“I was only doing my job.”

“No, you weren’t. You went well beyond the job description many, many times. Now it is my time to help you out.”

Before Jennie could answer, Cynthia said,

“Now… What would you like for Dinner?”


Cynthia moved from her Hotel the next day and slept on the couch. Her help allowed Jennie to really get to grips with being a single mother.

At the end of the week, Jennie was much more in control with things. To celebrate, Cynthia hired a Nurse to look after Amos while she took Jennie out for the evening.

They dined at a small Italian place in Queens. Cynthia impressed Jennie by speaking fluent Italian to the Waiters.

As they tucked into a delightful bowl of Chilli Crab Linguini, Cynthia said,
“My offer still stands you know.”

This stopped Jennie dead. She was about to take another mouthful of the pasta.

Then she looked up at Cynthia and smiled.

“I wondered when you would bring that up again?”

It was Cynthia’s turn to smile.

“Why are you smiling?”

“Because,” she said now grinning.
“Because that is the Jennie I have grown to know and love over the years we have worked together. This is the first time in probably months that your adult brain is not thinking about Amos in one way or another.”

This also his Jennie hard. Right between the eyes to be exact. She took several seconds to digest exactly what Cynthia had just said.

Slowly, she came to realise that Cynthia was telling the truth. Just like her books, her observational powers when it came to people and their behaviour was spot on. That skill showed in her writing.

Before she could think clearly enough to reply, her phone rang.

She looked at the Caller ID. It was her home phone number.

“Hello! Is something wrong with Amos?” she asked urgently as she answered the phone.

“He’s ok? Thank god.”

“Oh!”

“She’s what? She said what?”

“No. Please stay right where you are. We will be back shortly.”

Cynthia smiled as she saw the old Jennie at work. The old one was decisive and clear. That is why they’d worked so well over the years.

Jennie put the phone down with a stern look on her face.

“My Mother has arrived and tried to get the Nurse to leave. She will probably want me to go home with her.”

“You did the right thing in telling the nurse to stay right where she is. This Linguini is lovely.”

“How can…”
Then Jennie smiled.
“Oh, I get it. We make my Mother wait?”

“Well, from what you told me, you have not spoken in months and the last time you did, it wasn’t exactly cordial. The way I see it that isn’t it more than a little presumptuous of her to expect that you will drop everything at a moments’ notice and lick her boots so to speak?”

Jennie took a moment before replying.

“Are you saying that we should finish our meal before going home?”

“That is exactly what I’m saying. This is the first time you have been away from Amos since he was born. You are starting to act like an Adult again and not like a… someone who has just given birth and does not know what to do next. In other words, you aren’t in ‘Mother Mode’ for the first time since Amos was born.”

Once again Cynthia had summed up Jennie perfectly. She had just started to relax and not fret about Amos. While it was natural for a Mother to worry, what Cynthia had said made her realise that she’d been overly protective towards her son. That behaviour was perfectly natural but she had to learn to let go a bit when appropriate.

They finished the Linguini and took some Zabaglione with them to eat later and headed back to Jennie’s Apartment.

They hadn’t reached the front door when it opened and a woman was standing there with her arms folded and a stern look on her face.
Cynthia saw an aura of an unhappy woman all over. This was mixed with an image of her being in a loveless marriage.

“Hi Mom,” said Jennie.

“Don’t ‘Hi Mom’ me. Get your things packed you are coming home with me.”

The directness of her words stunned Cynthia. Jennie seemed to be expecting it.

“No Mom. My son and I are not going anywhere with you. Why don’t we all go inside and we can talk things through?”

“There is nothing to talk about. It has been decided,” replied Jennie’s Mother.

“Decided by whom? Not me and that’s for sure.”

Jennie just pushed past her Mother and into the Apartment. The nurse was standing behind her cradling Amos in her arms.

She took her son from the nurse and turned to face her mother.

“Mom, meet Amos your Grandson.”

Then she smiled at Cynthia.

“Mom, meet my good friend Cynthia, Cynthia Payne, the Author.”

Her mother gave Cynthia the once over and dismissed her in an instant.

“I meant what I said. I didn’t take two planes and pay thirty dollars for a taxi to come all this way for nothing. Your father and I…”

“Stop right there, Mom. This is neither the time nor the place to talk about this.”

Then she turned to the nurse.

“Thanks for coming tonight. I don’t think we will be needing you any longer.”

“No problem Ms Sharpe.”

Cynthia smiled at the Nurse’s mistake. She was the one paying for the Nurse. Thankfully, Jennie’s Mother didn’t pick up on it.

The nurse gathered her belongings and made a hasty exit.

Once she’d gone, Jennie said to her Mother.

“I wish you had called to let us know that you were coming. There isn’t anywhere here for you to stay.”

“I’ll stay on the couch for tonight. We’ll be leaving in the morning.”

“No Mom we won’t and Cynthia is sleeping on the couch. She’s been here and helping me with Amos almost since he was born.”

“And a fine mother you turned out to be! Off galivanting god knows where when you must be here for your son!”

“No Mom. Tonight, was my first time away from Amos since he was born. That’s why we hired a Registered Paediatric Nurse for the evening. We weren’t ‘gallivanting’ as you put it. We were in an Italian Restaurant a few blocks away.”

“You need to be with your son at all times. I was with you!”

“Times have changed Mom and we are not in the middle of nowhere you know.”

Cynthia realised that Jennie was standing right next to her.

Then Jennie’s Mother addressed Cynthia.

“Thank you for your help but you will not be needed any longer. I suggest that you get your things and leave.”

Cynthia had to admire her directness. The tone of her word told her that she wanted Cynthia to leave right now. Just then she realised that Jennie had put her free hand into hers.

“I admire your directness Mrs Dawson. I may use a character very much like you in my next book.”

She looked Jennie’s mother right in the eyes.

“Jennie is coming to work for me. Well, she has been my Editor for the last four years anyway.”

Cynthia looked at Jennie who smiled back.

“Yes Mom. We were talking about this over dinner tonight. I hadn’t given Cynthia an answer until now.”

Jennie’s Mom went a bit red in the face.

“Mom, you can stay here tonight. Cynthia and I will find a Hotel room but I want you to understand right now, I’m not coming back to the boonies with you. Both you and dad made it perfectly clear when I told you that I was expecting that I was not welcome at home. He has his position in the Church to consider so I won’t… what were his words? Oh yes, ‘darken his doorstep’. So, we won’t.”

Then her Mother realised that the two women were holding hands.

“You!” she said pointing at their hands.

“Yes Mom”

“How could you? You’re a Mother!”

“Yes Mom, I’m a Mom and I have found someone that cares for me and more importantly, my son as well.”

Jennie’s Mom had had enough.

“I’m not staying here to be insulted like that.”

She picked up her handbag and her flight bag only to remember that she needed to put her coat on.

When she was ready, Jennie opened the door and without another word, her mother left the apartment.

As Jennie closed the door, she paused.

Then she took a deep breath and said to Cynthia,

“Did I do the right thing?”

Cynthia smiled and took hold of Jennie’s hands in hers.

“Only time will tell, only time will tell.”

Then Cynthia asked,
“Did you mean what you said just now or was it just to make a point to your Mom?”

Jennie smiled.

“I had to say something. It seemed that nothing I said would make her see reason.”

Cynthia thought that Jennie was right.

“It seemed that way but…”

Cynthia seemed stuck for words.

“But you were unsure if I meant what I said?”

Cynthia nodded.

“You have been here for Amos and me when you didn’t have to be. That counts for a lot.”

“It was no problem, you know that. It has actually been a pleasure to help out.”

“I appreciate everything you have done for us.”

“And…?”

Jennie smiled.

“No. I want to come with you. This evening has made things clear to me. There is no future for Amos and me here.”

Cynthia started to say something but Jennie put up her hand.

“No. Please let me finish.”

Cynthia smiled and relaxed.

“The visit of my Mother has made me put things into perspective. I have no job and not much chance of getting Amos into childcare until he is at least six months old. I could do contract editing but I know that I need some help with Amos. The last few days has made that fairly obvious to me. That leaves me with basically one option and that is to work for you. At least I can see this idyllic place you call home for myself at last.”

Both of them laughed.


[three months later in Barbuda]

“Well, Jennie, here we are at last,” said Cynthia as the Taxi they were in pulled up at a white walled bungalow.

Cynthia unlocked the front door and let Jennie who was carrying Amos in a carry-cot into the dark interior.

“Hold on a moment,” said Cynthia.
“I’ll open the shutters.”

She dashed over to the large set of doors on the far side of the room. She opened the doors and pulled back the external shutters.

Suddenly, the view from the house down to the sea was there in front of them.

“Oh wow. It is beautiful,” exclaimed Jennie.
“Now I know why it was so difficult to get you to come up to New York.”

“Thanks. This is home for me and now I hope for you as well.”

Jennie looked down at her son who was fast asleep in his carry-cot.

“I think we will both be very happy here don’t you Amos?”

Amos replied with a burp. They both laughed.

The next day, they got down to work.

“This is what needs editing,” said Cynthia as she showed Jennie three hefty manuscripts.

Jennie smiled.

“I’d better get started then,” she replied with a sigh.

Then she looked at Cynthia. She’d heard a noise from the other room.

“I think that is Amos telling us that he needs changing?”

They both laughed.
Then Cynthia took hold of Jennie.
“Having second thoughts about shacking up with an Author who is not only transgendered and a good ten years older than you but loves you and Amos dearly.”

Jennie gave Cynthia an answer by kissing her.
They only broke off when Amos started crying.

They both knew who was the boss now!

[the end]

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Comments

Well Written

BarbieLee's picture

The story tracked along nicely with out any dead spots. The dialog, action, scenery blended so smoothly, I was transported into the story along with the actors. Nice soft story.
always,
Barb

Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl

Poor Amos

Maddy Bell's picture

It may be convenient but never having the cheapest and best start to life. Wbat am I talking about? Feeding with formula, why wasn't Jenny breast feeding?
Pleasant enough interlude.


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Madeline Anafrid Bell

Formula vs the other

Not every mother can breast feed after the first lactation but to be perfectly honest, it never crossed my mind when writing this story. I hope it didn't stop you enjoying it? Would it have been dramatically improved if I did include it? I honestly don't know.

Samantha

Hooray, another good story

To make sure, I took advice from the prelim and re-read the original story before coming back to this one. I neded the revision, and it DID help me to take full advantage of all that was in the follow-up.
Thanks
Dave

Thanks

I think that you are right in needing to read part 1 before this one especially as it was how long ago that the first part was published? September 2013. That's more than 5 years ago. That's why I put a link to the original bit at the top.

This is the first story that I have published here that I've done a follow-up to. This is not normally something I do but there was always something nagging at me to write more after the "Shall I be Mother?" moment.

I'm glad you liked it. This might be a one off, I don't really know.

Samantha

I had been wondering

Monique S's picture

about he breast feeding, too, but then there would not have been a way for Cynthia to do the feeding other than as described.

In any case I think that the love conveyed by the person feeding is more important than the substance fed. Yes, the cotact between mother and child through breast feeding makes a difference but not, if the mother gets stressed out by being unable to cope.

I much prefer this scenario to Jenny being left to cope with brestfeeding her baby first and then horrible mother without help.

Nice story, Samantha, and I didn't even read the prequel. It stands alone quite nicely.
Monique.

Monique S

Great story

Another one of your fabulous stories, thanks for sharing.

Robyn Adaire

I think you nailed our religeous right mentality

perfectly. It wasn't about what what their daughter wanted, and they chose not to be their for their daughter when she really needed them, instead trying to order her into how they felt she should run her life, much as they do to the country.

Thank you for the stories.

For being written so far apart in time

the two stories flowed seamlessly together with the same feeling of push pull between the characters. I enjoyed it very much.

That surprised me as well

The original story just stuck in my mind and I read it again a couple of months ago and bingo... the sequel came out.

I am so pleased that people like it.

Samantha

Like it?

Podracer's picture

Yes we did :)
The back link was appreciated, so the first part seemed like only yesterday. I imagine the relationship between author and editor could indeed get very close over time.

"Reach for the sun."

Feedings

There are any number of reasons why a child can't be breastfed. For me it was all about what my body could and couldn't handle. That wonderful all natural breast milk made me quite sick. It took a lot of juggling things around to determine what combination of formula in what amounts I could tolerate. I've had weight problems my entire life, even now keep weight on is a problem. I've lost 20+ pounds in the last three months that I'm unlikely to regain.

I know of mothers that couldn't express enough milk to keep their babies healthy and growing, so they had to supplement with formula. Honestly it never even occurred to me to question that in this story. The baby was getting what he needed, good enough.

I was a bit surprised at their relationship suddenly busting out like that, but it ties a nice bow in things. Whatever works, especially if it allows her to show her conservative parents the middle finger! That's just icing on the cake!


"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin

Having Problems With Set-Up Story

In the original story it states that Jennie had been assigned to be editor AFTER the last story that Cynthia had written. Yet the sequel implies that Cynthia and Jennie had a long term ongoing relationship. I think that the original story has to be rewritten to be a proper prequel to this story.

I did like this story.

Sweet story

Today was a reread of these 2 works. As noted above they flow seamlessly and the characters are well done and wonderful. Like Bigjohn1066 commented above, I noted inconsistencies but did my best to overlook them. I figure authors have every right to make their characters any way they want. Reminds me that Arthur Conan Doyle even calls Dr. Watson both James and John in the Sherlock Holmes works. Whatever. It is the relationships and gist of a story that matter and that's what made this one such sweetness and light. Loved it. Thanks Samantha.

>>> Kay