Love, Lauren

Dear Raul:

It was so wonderful to see you this weekend and even though we didn’t really need you & Cole to help us move in with Abigail, I am glad you came anyway. I am so jazzed you got to meet Abigail. I could see that you remind her of Tom Kimura in a way. I already know that I often remind her of herself.

So we had our first two nights at Abigail’s and we’ve managed to keep the kitchen from burning down - Esperanza’s own words - we haven’t overloaded the washer and we haven’t flooded the moody corner bathroom. After you and Cole left on Sunday, we all sat in Abigail’s beautiful sitting room and we thoroughly squished those never-used pillows. Clarissa even threw one at me when I told Abigail that Clarissa didn’t get Anna Karenina. Clarissa was quick to point out that she had no trouble getting it, she had trouble wanting to get it. Clarissa doesn’t like authors who use their characters to lecture their readers on their own world views. Tell the story, Clarissa says, I can figure out how you think if you just tell a good story. Then she said the suicide at the end was a cop out, but we all – except for Ryan – remembered Mercy and we quickly changed the subject.

Ryan is starting to grow on me. I really didn’t know her that well when Clarissa suggested her as a third housemate. I think I told you she’s an art major and very quiet and introspective. Abigail is letting her use the Kimuras’ old gardening cottage for a studio. We cleaned it out today. It’s going to be wonderful. Even Abigail said so. She sat with us and drank green tea smoothies when we were done cleaning it. It was nice. I think we will be spending a lot of time in Ryan’s studio.

I am meeting with the literary agent my dad found later this week. She has some ideas for me about what we should and shouldn’t do with the diary. She’s been talking to other publishing houses. Several, actually.

Sometimes I wish no one knew about it but Abigail and me.

XOXO
Lauren