Not abandoned, I promise! My Mom passed on 19 June - thank you to everyone who expressed hopes and prayers for her recovery and for her passing! Your kind words meant and helped a lot.
We were very close, and her death hit me harder than I expected (based on my Dad's passing a lot of years ago; I wasn't as close to him, and Mom handled most of the details after he died, but still I figured her death would have a similar impact. Yeah, WRONG!), but she made it as easy for me as she could.
The handymen have been at her house this weekend, finishing up painting and installing hardware on the kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Next weekend, a tenant moves in, and the physical transition of things after Mom's death will be effectively over.
The legal transition will be over October, as my state requires publication of a notice to creditors for 90 days. I already have an appointment with the attorney for after the 90-day period, so we can finish up whatever needs finishing up.
The emotional transition…. In some ways, that will never be over. Every time one of the dogs does something funny, I'll think, "Oh, Mom will laugh at that!" And then I remember that no, she won't. Or if she does, I won't hear it. Still, not quite two months after she passed, I'm feeling more ready to get back to routines, including writing (as the two shorts I've posted can attest).
This story has been whispering in the back of my mind, and I want to get back to it soon. That said, I need to re-read everything I've written so far, so I can get back into the feel of the story before I can continue. (I know where *a* scene starts, and what it consists of, but I don't know if it's the *next* scene, or ...? Yeah, definitely need a re-read.)
I plan to post the next chapter the first weekend of September (Labor Day Weekend, for those in the States).
Thank you again, everyone, for all your support!
Z.