she wondered
no
because she'd called her own bluff and she wasn't giving up ultimately (not her)
anyway maybe the attempt would be prophylactic and add something worthwhile maybe
to the human comedy files. Again: maybe
CHAPTER 1
She pulled her housecoat closer around her. What of it? She'd taken a sick day because she'd earned about a thousand of them.
Thought: If I've influenced just one other person in a better direction, just once in my life, I'm fully satisfied. And that was career. She also had kids.
They'd turned out nicely, too, thank you and due to a F.ing lot of hard work and sacrifices. No scary teens here finally. Thank goodness. Talk about privilege. Describe "mom privilege" = non-scary, grateful, kind, gentle, un-insulting, self-aware, modest, fascinating, sharing, only-semi-self-destructive-or-at-least-in-manageable-ways teens.
Exactly like we were. Only now we're responsible for them.
Which was why it didn't all ring true with her.
She'd done okay. Extraordinarily well? Does anyone think that?
Enough. She'd live off it for awhile. Ring the town bells: she'd already done just enough.
Until her next crisis of confidence, that would do.
Which suggested a different title, as she reached for the 5:01 martini she'd poured twenty long minutes ago:
Self-Esteem: A How-To
yeah
CHAPTER 2