The Book of Illumination
A Novel from the Ghost Files
I should not have answered the phone.
But that's one more thing they fail to mention in those books you buy to try to prepare for parenthood. What the books should say is this: unless your child is in sight or within shouting distance, you will never again be comfortable letting a phone ring.
My five-year-old, Henry, was spending the weekend with his father, Declan; his stepmother, Kelly; and his two half sisters, Delia and Nell. Kelly's brother has a cottage on Lake Sunapee, and since it was Columbus Day weekend, which happened to fall very early this year, they'd all set off on Friday for three days of boating and campfires.
"Anza? It's Nat."
"Oh, hi!"
My friend Natalie was everything I wasn't: cool, willowy, able to get through life with a few faultlessly chosen pieces of clothing—one cashmere sweater, one black pencil skirt, one perfect pair of jeans. The jewelry she made was just like her wardrobe, spare and tasteful. She was also a secret smoker with somewhat unfortunate taste in men.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Nothing." I ...
read full excerpt from: The Book of Illumination ebook
