ChapterSixteen
KRYSTAL
Aphone call from my agent interrupted a perfectly enjoyable morning of watchingLaw and Orderreruns with Mom.
“Hey, Priscilla. How are things going?”
“You know how it is. No rest for the wicked. Listen, Krys. I won’t soften the news. Faithmark didn’t give you the part in the first round of movies for the year. I wish I had better news, but you know we can try again after you get back. They’ve got five more movies to cast for the second round of filming later in the summer.”
I sat on the edge of my childhood bed and my shoulders sagged forward. “I don’t understand. I’m so close. What happened?”
“I’m not sure. Rumor has it that a former Magic Channel star is looking for opportunities, and the execs thought it would be smart to use a familiar face to pull in the audience that watched her show when she was younger.”
I let myself fall backward, bouncing and then sinking into the mattress. “Of course they did.”
“I’m sorry. Like I said, we aren’t giving up. Right?” My agent’s voice was firm and encouraging.
I nodded then said, “You’re right.”
“Good. I’m sending in your portfolio next week, and callbacks are scheduled for the beginning of June, with filming in July. Can you swing that? You’ll be back, right?”
“Easily. The doctor said Mom is right on track, and I should be able to come back home around the middle of May.”
“Oh? That’s great. Just a few more weeks. Do you want to see if we can find something filming in June to fill your time before the movie? It’s not too late to ask them to consider you for the supporting roles.”
“Sure.” There was no reason not to at least look for something in that gap. If there was even a movie. One of the things I loved about Priscilla was her positivity. She always spoke as though the jobs were already mine–as though she could manifest my success by only thinking positively about it.
I knew that “manifesting” my future wasn’t scriptural. I had to trust God’s plan and walk in obedience to it. Ultimate success and blessing came from following the Lord’s commands, not from sending positive vibes into the universe. But that didn’t stop me from appreciating Priscilla’s mindset and belief in me. It was encouraging to have someone speak with such certainty about my success, since I was so often doubting it.
“All right. Stay beautiful, Krys. Talk soon.”
I heard the sound of kisses as Priscilla bid her farewell.
After the call ended, I stayed on the bed for a long time, staring at the ceiling and considering the impact of not landing the role.
Was God trying to tell me something? I’d been told I was a shoo-in for a lead for this season’s lineup of Christmas romances on Faithmark.
And here I was, with nothing pressing me to leave Minden and, if I was being honest with myself, a growing desire to stay.
“I need some answers, Lord.”
I hadn’t planned on spending the evening with Monica, but when she texted out of the blue and invited me to come over after dinner, I figured it would be fun.
I’d always gotten along well with Bryce’s younger sister. We’d even kept in touch after I left. Usually, we didn’t realize how much time had passed between phone calls until it had been six months again without talking. But the conversations were always refreshing and fun.
I got Mom to bed and pulled up to Monica’s house at almost nine.
“Sorry it’s so late. Mom was talking my ear off about getting her garden planted.” I rolled my eyes. “That’s the last thing I want to manage while I’m here, and it’ll probably be way too much for her after I’m gone. But she doesn’t want to listen to reason.”
Monica laughed. “It’s no problem. I like to stay up too late anyway. And trust me, I totally understand. My mom keeps dreaming up elaborate craft projects we can do together, then bows out about halfway to the end, leaving it for me to finish on my own.”
I held up a plate of cookies I’d pulled out of the freezer earlier in the afternoon. “I brought snacks,” I said.
“Awesome.”
We relaxed on the sofa, letting the rerun of an old sitcom play quietly in the background. Monica told me about work at the hospital and a difficult doctor she was dealing with.
“How is the auction going?”