Annabelle:
You know I would love to, but I can’t.
Lucy:
There are always going to be reasons not to do something. I shut down the studio to fly here, because I couldn’t get anyone to cover for me. Sometimes we have to make sacrifices for our mental health, for example ...
I sigh. She’s not wrong—there is always going to be a reason not to do something. Still, that doesn’t mean I can drop everything and fly out of town.
I am not like the new, carefree Lucy.
I am not spontaneous.
I don’t live on the edge.
I stare out the window, in the direction of the lake. Yes, I live in a resort town. No, my apartment isn’t anywhere near the water. Too expensive.
But that’s me in a nutshell, isn’t it? Practical.Predictable.Sensible to a fault. I make grocery lists and stick to them. I budget down to the penny. I plan vacations twelve months in advance and still double-check hotel confirmations the night before. I don’t wake up one morning and decide to book a flight somewhere on a whim. I’ve never been that girl.
I wonder what it feels like to be that girl.
To act first and figure the rest out later.
To leap without worrying if the net will appear.
Lucy:
What about a staycation? Go to the lodge and relax! Let them pamper you! Hang out with the tourists ...
Annabelle:
The lodge is the least quiet place in town. What I need is peace and quiet and not to stare at the white walls in my apartment, day in and day out ... UGH!
Lucy:
Okay. What about one of the cottages? I had never been in one until I was inside Harris’s and they areSo Darn Cute. You would love it.
I chew on my bottom lip, staring at her message. Spontaneity? No, thank you. That’s how you end up lost, sunburned, and accidentally eating something you’re allergic to.
But . . . What if?
What if Ididtake a staycation?
What if I closed my laptop, threw some clothes in a bag—no, not even a bag, just ... whatever I can grab in ten minutes.
Annabelle:
Wouldn’t that be weird?
Her reply comes in instantly.
Lucy:
No! It’s self-care. You’re treating yourself. Like a mini-retreat!
I glance down at my to-do list.
I glance at the pile of forms on my kitchen table.
