Research: Romance

shrink

Robert and Liza make another appearance Friday afternoon, as Robin and I go to a couples counseling session together. 

It's for the fake dating trope, and while a bit unorthodox, who better to tell me how a functioning couple dynamic should work than a therapist? So, while Dr. Carver, a kind man in his sixties with exceptional taste in sweaters and succulents, was analyzing the inner workings of Robert and Liza Johnson's personal lives; I was examining every word he said regarding their relationship from what was wildly unhealthy to what was satisfactory. Each relevant detail was jotted down with my lucky pen in the notebook where I was actively keeping story notes.

Since I now had less than 10 weeks to produce the book, I was quick to flesh out the plot line thoroughly, despite not having a full grasp of the characters. I thought I had made use of every minute before the deadline was reduced, but I was very wrong. Desi had me on the most rigorous writing schedule of my life. If I was breathing, I was writing. Even when I slept, I was still writing so that when I woke up, I could crank out a chapter and go back to sleep... where I continued writing. 

Before our appointment, I ran down the premise I had of the novel to Robin, who happily volunteered to get into the mindset of his character. With him researching with me, discovering who they were would be a breeze. 

The story opens with the scene of a disastrous car accident, the protagonist (still Isabella, for now) is attempting to wake her best friend who is sitting in the passenger seat before falling unconscious. Isabella wakes from a deep sleep a few days later to find that she can suddenly see ghosts...and that the other girl didn't make it. Upon hearing this, she searches everywhere for the ghost of her best friend. After days of searching, and a deep bout of grief, she sees her friend's ghost in a cafe starting at man by the window.

Isabella assumes that this man is her friend's unfinished business, and she decides to help her friend move on by figuring out what his connection is to her. However, unlike the other ghosts she can see, Isabella finds she can only communicate with her best friend's ghost when around the man.

What's the connection then? Of course, this man is the one who discovered their car at the scene of the accident. To her surprise, Isabella communicates better with her friend's ghost through the man than on her own. Assuming her friend has a stronger connection with the man, given he is her unfinished business and all, Isabella accepts she must work with the man all without giving her motivation away. To him, she is just a woman who can see ghosts, looking to help her friend.

However, the more Isabella falls in love with the man, the faster her powers seem to fade, and she begins to feel as if the world is moving without her. At one point it feels like he is the only one that can see her. Here's the twist! It's Isabella that's dead, and not the friend.

As she falls in love for the first time in her life, she realizes that her unfinished business is wrapping up and she's passing over. The love interest is a medium and the one who watched her pass away at the hospital. It's all very tragic and romantic. 

Being that it involved the supernatural, Robin was more than excited to get a jump on things. Hence, therapy for Liza (me), who was there to grieve the passing of her friends death and felt like she couldn't communicate and Robert (Robin), who was trying to be supportive, but felt there were details about Liza's grief he couldn't connect to. 

At the end of the session, Dr. Carver shook both of our hands and guided us to the door as I tucked my lucky pen back in my bag, "I hope you two continue to communicate so openly with each other. Grief is painful, but it can bring people together, too." 

"Thank you, Dr. Carver." I smiled at him. "You've been such a great help." 

Dr. Carver nodded, scratching his white stubble. A friendly expression warmed his eyes, "Anytime, Liza. I'm deeply sorry for your loss. I hope to see you both again soon."