Link: Every Day Is Your Last Title Page and Description

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Erica Bella Dunning sat in her office, typing a memo to one of her editors regarding changes to her publishing company's latest soon-to-be-released novel. Nearly done, her intercom buzzed.

"Miss Dunning?" June, her secretary interrupted. "Brooke Hathaway is here to see you."

"Send her right in, June." Erica said distractedly. While she finished typing her interoffice email, she put her pencil in her teeth to free her hands to type faster. Brooke came in through the main doors and walked over to the other side of Erica's large oak desk.

"Jus' a schec." Erica mumbled around the worn wooden instrument. Taking it from her mouth and setting it aside, she suggested, "Go ahead and make yourself comfortable, Aunt Brooke. I'll be right with you!" Typing quickly while Brooke sank into the chair in front of her desk, she finally hit send and smiled, turning to one of her father's dearest friends. She was no blood relation at all, but she still was 'Aunt Brooke' to Erica.

Standing and circling around the desk, she watched the older woman stand back up wearily. Embracing her and kissing her cheek, Erica greeted her properly. "Hi! I'm so glad you could come see me! Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea? Rum and Coke?" Erica knew full well that Brooke was in AA.

Brooke smiled, her dark hair only just beginning to show the edges of gray. "Hi, sweetie! No, nothing for me! How's the family?"

Erica sat in a chair next to Brooke rather than talk to her over the huge desk. "Mamma's good." she said, referring to her aunt Heather, her mother in all but the legal sense. "Same for April and everyone... except me."

"Not you?" Brooke asked. "What's wrong?"

"Between my work schedule and trying to find the time to spend at home..." Erica looked at her with a blasé expression of exhaustion. "I'm pooped!" The two laughed together a moment before Erica continued. "I haven't even had time to write in a month, which for me is a long time!"

Glad to catch up with her best friend's daughter, Brooke frowned teasingly. "Aww! Having to live in that penthouse must be dreadful!"

"Very funny!" Erica laughed with her. "My 'poor, rich lifestyle'! It's not the money, it's the cost to my sanity! I'm going nuts!"

"So? How can I help?" she asked seriously.

"I don't need help! I'm going crazy just fine on my own, thank you!" Erica teased.

"Oh God, Erica!" Brooke said through her chuckles. "You sound so much like Jack, sometimes!"

"Funny you should mention Dad, Aunt Brooke." Erica segued. "He's the reason I wanted to talk to you. Do you remember the day we met and you told me you'd tell me about him and Uncle Richard someday?"

"Wow! That was nine years ago!" Brooke commented. "But to answer your question, yeah... I remember."

"Well, I was hoping to take you up on your offer."

Brooke balked. "What, did you want to talk about him right now? I thought you were really busy?"

"I am, but I had an idea, and I was hoping you could help. I want to write my father's story, and Uncle Richard's... as told by you!"

The retired Marine scoffed at the suggestion. "Erica! I'm no writer!"

"But I am!" Erica retorted. "See, I got this idea to tell their story as a novel. Since you were there for most of it, it would also be your story... and my mother's, and Mamma's. You tell me things that happened to my father and uncle and yourself and Mamma and my mom, and I write it in story form. I think it's a story that would really help a lot of people, especially Vets. To see two of their own, depicted realistically and respectfully, as told by one of their own... you!"

Brooke looked askance at her honorary niece. "So, you want war stories? I don't think..."

"No! Not at all, Aunt Brooke!" she interrupted to prevent confusion. "I want to tell the story of two average guys who also happen to be patriots. I... I want the world to know my father's story Aunt Brooke, and Uncle Richard's. I want to tell the story of how they met, how they lived, how they loved, how they felt... everything!"

Brooke was stunned. She moved her mouth in an effort to respond, but she couldn't manage to find the words. Finally, she gathered her wits. "Erica, that's a lot to ask! I don't know that you can capture the essence of those two in a simple novel. It's... it's..."

"...it's the job of a storyteller." she interrupted. "And that's what I am! Aunt Brooke, I've been making up stories since I was three years old! I'm pretty good at it too, if I do say so myself, at least my readers seem to agree. Now I want to tell Dad's story, and Uncle Richard's, yours, Mom's, and Mamma's! Trust me, Aunt Brooke. This story will be good!"

Seeing that she was still skeptical, she tried once more. "I'll tell you what. If after I'm done, if you don't like it, I won't publish it. I'll just keep it as a family heirloom. At least then their grandchildren and great grandchildren will know their stories... and that'll be good enough."