What do you think?
I called her.
“You found a bookstore?”
“Potential bookstore.”
“What’s the difference?”
“One has customers. The other has an empty room and a landlord who thinks the floor is made of gold.”
I laughed.
“Where is it?”
“Two blocks from the university. The neighborhood has changed, but there are apartments nearby, a coffee shop across the street, and a bus stop around the corner.”
“You’ve already done the research.”
“I’m trying to be responsible.”
“Terrible habit.”
She laughed.
Then her voice softened.
“I was afraid to tell anyone about this.”
“Why?”
“Because if I fail, I’ll have to admit I wasted money on a dream I should have abandoned years ago.”
I leaned back in my chair.
“Karen, you’ve spent twenty-two years being responsible for everyone else. Give yourself permission to try something that might fail.”
She was quiet.
Then she said, “You make it sound simple.”
