The Space Between Then and Now

THE  lobby of Smith and Harper smelled faintly of fresh coffee and polished wood. It was the kind of lobby that once you stepped in it, you couldn't help but feel that success would be inevitable. 

Jaclyn Lane sat on the modern cream couch in the waiting area with her legs crossed and hands folded loosely in her lap. She had been here dozens of times before, and yet every time she was here, it still felt like the first day she signed her book deal. 

Looking around the lobby, Jaclyn noticed framed covers of her novel series, starring her lead female detective, Ryan Lewis, lining the walls. 

Murder in the Windy City

The Lake Effect

In the Dead of Winter

Tainted Jury 

The L-Train Murders

Five books. Five New York Times bestsellers. All hers. 

She stood now, making her way over to the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the Chicago skyline. From up here, it felt like the city stretched endlessly into the sky. Thirteen years. Chicago had been her refuge--a place where she became someone new. Here, she was more than just Joseph and Jean Lane's daughter. She was more than Jason's annoying little sister. And she certainly was more than the girl that left her small home town in Essex, Connecticut, all those years ago. 

She could see her reflection in the pristine glass, the way her wavy brown hair accented her face, and how her green eyes stared back at her. Here, in Chicago, she was a widely successful author. 

Her phone suddenly buzzed in her hand, pulling her from her thoughts. She looked at the caller ID. 

"Mom," She said softly as she answered the phone. 

"Jaclyn," Jean Lane's voice came through warm and unmistakably proud. "I just finished The L-Train Murders. I stayed up all night reading it. I couldn't put it down!" 

Jaclyn smiled despite herself. "You say that about everyone of them." 

"And I mean it every time," Jean said. "I also heard it made the New York Times Best Seller list again. Your father and I are so proud of you." 

"I couldn't have done it without you and Dad," Jaclyn said honestly. "You both believed in me and supported me." 

Jean was quiet for a moment, just long enough for Jaclyn to notice. 

"What's wrong?" Jaclyn asked. 

"I just...I haven't heard from you in awhile," Jean admitted. "I know you are busy with book tours, interviews and all that, but are you okay?" 

"I'm fine," Jaclyn said almost too quickly for Jean to actually believe her. "Like you said, I am just busy. I'm actually at my Publisher's office right now. I have a meeting with my Publicist, Valerie." 

Jean was silent for a moment before she said, "That's what worries me. When was the last time you took a break?" 

Jaclyn opened her mouth, then closed it. "I...I can't remember." 

Jean sighed in a way mother's did when their children drove them into early graves. "Jason's coming home for a few months with his girlfriend Emily. It would be nice to have both my kids under one roof again. Even if it's just for a little while. You can even write here or take some time for yourself." 

"I'd love that," Jaclyn said, and part of her meant it. "I just don't know if I can. There's just too much going on." 

Before Jean could respond, a familiar figure appeared at the doorway to the offices. 

"Jaclyn!" Valerie Harper called, waving her in. 

"I have to go," Jaclyn said. "I'll call you soon, okay?"

"Okay," Jean replied unconvinced but resigned. "I love you." 

"I love you too." Jaclyn slipped her phone into her coat pocket and followed Valerie into her office. 

VALERIE  Harper was everything Jean Lane was not: immaculately dressed, impeccably composed, and radiated an authority that suggested praise was earned, never given. At fifty-five years old, she was sharp, stylish, and relentless.

"Who were you talking to?" Valerie asked while gesturing Jaclyn to take a seat. 

"My mom," Jaclyn said with a small smile. "She's trying to guilt me into coming home." 

Valerie chuckled. "That's a mother's job. Trust me, I do it to my kids all the time." 

Valerie settled behind her desk, folding her hands. "First of all--congratulations! Another hit. Readers are obsessed with Detective Ryan Lewis." 

Jaclyn smiled, listening. 

"They love her grit, her instances, and her refusal to play be anyone else's rules," Valerie continued. "Detective Lucas Jones remains a fan favourite, and Assistant District Attorney, Bridget Collins? People adore her and Ryan's friendship and dynamic." 

Jaclyn nodded apprehensively. "I'm sensing a but." 

Valerie tilted her head. "The series is missing something." 

Jaclyn stiffened. "Missing something?" 

"With five wildly successful instalments, readers are wanting more. Specifically, they want more for Ryan." 

Jaclyn's pulse quickened. "More how?" 

"A love interest," Valerie said causally.

The word landed heavily between them. 

Jaclyn leaned back, processing what Valerie had just said. Love had never been part of the series. It was always about murder and mystery. That is what she knew how to write. 

"I don't write romance," Jaclyn said after a moment of silence.

Valerie laughed. "I'm not asking you to change your genre. I'm asking you to give Ryan a connection. Maybe Lucas, or maybe a new mysterious man who is over 6 feet, charming, extremely handsome and has muscles for days." 

Jaclyn couldn't help but think Valerie was projecting her dream man with that description. 

Valerie continued, "Even better: a love triangle. Readers would devour it." 

Jaclyn slumped into the chair. Valerie noticed, and eyed her knowingly.

"Maybe you find it hard to write about love because you haven't experienced it," Valerie said lightly. "A woman as beautiful and successful as you should have no trouble in finding a man." 

"You sound like my mother," Jaclyn muttered. 

Valerie smiled. "The Publishers are giving you extra time for the next instalment. Take a break, you definitely  earned it. But when you do start writing your 6th book, they want to see a love interest." 

Jaclyn exhaled sharply. 

"And," Valerie added with a hint of excitement in her voice, "if the series gets picked up for television--" 

Jaclyn straightened in her chair. "TV?" 

Valerie's smile turned knowing. "There's interest. Streaming platforms are circling." 

"I--" Jaclyn laughed in disbelief. "You're serious?" 

"Very," Valerie said. "And television demands romance. It's inevitable." 

Jaclyn took a moment to process this information. When she first began writing, she did not think her series would make it to TV, but after the third book and the critical acclaim, that dream became something she could reach. 

Jaclyn stood, suddenly restless. She had a lot to think about. 

As she reach the door, Valerie spoke again. "Take your mother up on her offer. Go home. It might inspire you. Maybe even help you find love for yourself." 

Jaclyn paused, her hand resting on the doorframe. 

Home. 

Going back there felt like returning to someone else's life that was no longer hers.