Chapter 575: Beaulieu Manor

Thursday, March 2nd, Afternoon

(Song lyrics in italics)

He sat at his desk, staring at his laptop. His publisher understood, so they allowed him to defer the next book for which he was contracted.

It's been a few years, but now they were getting anxious. Now he had to put pen to paper. That was another matter altogether.

Lucas stared at the screen as the cursor blinked at him. There were only two words on the screen, the word "the" and the word "fuck". His fans wanted the next chapter in the Landen and Penny saga. But the cursor still blinked at that one simple four-letter word, "fuck". Maybe it was time to retire, as there were no more stories to write, at least; he felt that way.

Lucas's smartphone rang, and he muttered to the universe please let it not be his editor; he didn't know what to tell her. He sighed and reached for his phone. Lucas smiled slightly at the screen; it wasn't his editor but his eldest daughter.

I wanted you to know, I love the way you laugh

I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away

I keep your photograph, I know it serves me well

I wanna hold you high and steal your pain

"Hey, Candi, what makes you call your old man?" Lucas said, answering his phone.

"I've not checked in a while and wanted to see if you're alive," Candi said.

"Still ticking, for now," Lucas said.

"So, Ellie and Sawyer told me you're on a deadline for a treatment for your next book," Candi said.

"Yeah, they said five years is enough time," Lucas said.

"So, how's it coming?" Candi asked.

"It's coming," Lucas said.

"In other words, you've not written a word," Candi said,

"Not true; I've written two," Lucas said.

"Cursing at yourself doesn't count, Dad," Candi said.

"Fuck!" Lucas said.

"Come on; you got this," Candi said.

"I don't know," Lucas said.

"Your muse will find you," Candi said.

"It will; it always has," Candi said.

"The one problem with always is that eventually, it fails," Lucas said.

"What did Lady Macbeth say to Macbeth?" Candi asked.

"Screw your courage to the sticking place," Lucas said.

"So, why are you waiting?" Candi asked.

"Some rivers are hard to cross," Lucas said.

"But Caesar did it," Candi said.

'Cause I'm broken when I'm open

And I don't feel like I am strong enough

'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome

And I don't feel right when you're gone away

Lucas nodded, "Yeah, he did," he said.

"Yeah," Candi said.

"So, why did you really call?" Lucas asked.

"To see how you're doing," Candi said.

"We both know that's a load of BS," Lucas said.

"So, say you," Candi said.

"Candace Lynn," Lucas said.

"Dad," Candi said.

"What is bothering you?" Lucas asked.

"I gave my interview to Felicia Van Ankeren," Candi said.

"Yeah, she even spoke with me; I don't think I had much to add," Lucas said.

"Yeah, well, lucky you, Dad," Candi said.

"What does that mean, Candi?" Lucas asked.

"What does what mean?" Candi asked.

"What happened at the interview?" Lucas asked.

"The usual, she asked about the band name and the book," Candi said, "That damn book."

"Standard stuff," Lucas said.

"Yeah," Candi said.

"She asked," Lucas said.

"What?" Candi asked.

"So, she asked," Lucas said.

The worst is over now and we can breathe again

I wanna hold you high, you steal my pain away

There's so much left to learn and no one left to fight

I wanna hold you high and steal your pain

"Yes, she fucken asked about that night in the ER," Candi said.

"So, she asked, it's a big part of the story," Lucas said.

"Yeah, but not my best moment," Candi said.

"You did what you thought was right," Lucas said.

"Not by professional, ethical standards," Candi said.

"But by the greater good," Lucas said.

"Not everyone sees it that way," Candi said.

"Yeah, you did what you thought was right," Lucas said.

"But not by my profession's ethics," Candi said.

"You stepped away when another doctor showed up, right?" Lucas asked.

"Not right away, but yes," Candi said.

"Well, they cleared you, right?" Lucas asked.

"But they haven't forgotten about it either," Candi said.

"So, prove them wrong like you always have," Lucas said.

"The same advice goes for you, Dad," Candi said.

"Things are a bit different for me," Lucas said.

"Why are they different?" Candi asked.

"For one, I'm old," Lucas said.

"Dad, you're 51; you're not old," Candi said.

"It's not the years. It's the miles, Candi," Lucas said.

"Dad, make me a promise," Candi said.

"Okay, only if you make me one," Lucas said.

'Cause I'm broken when I'm open

And I don't feel like I am strong enough

'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome

And I don't feel right when you're gone away

"Fine," Candi said, "You need to write a page and more words than fuck."

"Okay, and you need to stop feeling sorry for yourself when it comes to Brian," Lucas said.

"Fine," Candi said.

"See, now we can agree on something," Lucas said.

"What's that?" Candi asked.

"We're both screwed," Lucas said.

Candi laughed, "Yeah," she said.

"Yeah," Lucas said.

"Oh, by the way, congrats on reaching the final four," Candi said.

"Thanks," Lucas said.

"Welcome," Candi said, "I wish I could be there."

"You're in my heart," Lucas said.

"So is she," Candi said, "Got to go; the hospital is calling, by."

'Cause I'm broken when I'm open

And I don't feel like I am strong enough

'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome

And I don't feel right when you're gone away

Candi hung up, and Lucas sighed. He looked at the screen, deleted the two words, and wrote fresh.