The Good Life Read online

  “No problem,” said Ann.

  “I didn’t mean to go over.”

  “It’s okay,” said Ann, sliding past her and stepping onto the wide belt. She entered her program while the woman stood, too closely, and wiped her wet brow. Ann settled on The Today Show and started walking. She inserted her earbuds, signaling the end of any social interaction, and the woman walked away. Thirty seconds later, she was into her running groove. Matt Lauer was interviewing the author of a book about child prodigies and Ann began to relax. She held on to the handrails and closed her eyes for two seconds. And that was all it took for an image of her parents, sitting in the living room of her guesthouse, to fill her mind. She opened her eyes and focused her attention on the television.

  When Ann finished her workout, she showered and walked out of the center. She met Sally in the parking lot. “Hey,” she said, jogging toward Ann. “I called you this morning, but I can see you’re already here. Why so early?”

  “I have a bunch of things to do today, Sally,” said Ann, lying.

  “So do I,” Sally said. “But let’s make time for a bagel in about ninety minutes. My treat.”

  “I’d love to another time,” said Ann. “I’ve got to run. I’ll call you.” And with that, Ann left her friend and walked briskly to her car. She knew Sally was probably wondering what the hell was wrong with her—that was the third invitation she’d turned down since her parents left the week before. Ann started her car and turned on her seat heater. She shivered as she put the car in gear and drove out of the lot. It was only nine-thirty in the morning and Ann had no idea what to do with herself, so she drove home.

  In her kitchen, filled with sunlight, she found small comforts. The sink area was scrubbed clean, smelling like cleanser. And the floor, which Emma had washed just the day before, had not yet accumulated dirt and dust. The copper-bottom pots and pans all hung in their proper place above the center island. And the gleaming cappuccino machine stood ready on the counter. That, of course, was exactly what she needed. She retrieved the skim milk from the refrigerator and the espresso beans from the freezer. Ann found solace in the shoosh of the machine. She poured her drink into a large ceramic mug, indulgently sprinkled chocolate powder on top, and walked to the kitchen table, where she sat amid the pillows on the window seat and put her feet up. Taking a sip and closing her eyes, she, again, saw her parents. She opened her eyes and glanced over at her sanitized stove. Her mother, of course, was not bending over the oven. She turned her head and looked out the window at the guesthouse, which was dark. She had not been in it since her parents’ departure.

  Coffee in hand, Ann rose from her seat and grabbed her coat from the peg and her keys from the basket. She walked down the salted path, unlocked the front door, and walked in, closing the door behind her. The cool emptiness and silence surrounded her immediately like morning fog, and for a moment, she was unable to breathe. Inhaling and exhaling slowly like her mother had taught her, Ann slowly moved the rest of the way down the front hallway and into the living room. The carpeting was freshly vacuumed. Ann spun around and entered the kitchen. The counters were bare, as were the cupboards she opened one at a time. A bowl of colorful wooden fruit sat in the middle of the kitchen table instead of the real fruit her mother had always kept handy. It was a good tip for mothers, Eileen had told Ann shortly after her arrival last fall. If the fruit is sitting there, in full view, a child will sometimes eat it. And even though Ann had laughed at the time, she had since noticed Lauren eating apples—something she had never done before Eileen’s arrival.

  Ann walked through the living room and into the bedroom where her parents had slept for seventeen weeks. She sat down on her mother’s side of the bed, inhaling and exhaling, and ran her fingers over the dustless bedside table. She hesitated and then opened its single drawer. Sitting in the middle of the drawer was a three-by-five recipe card: Mama’s Butternut Squash Soup. Ann lifted it and found a note underneath.

  My dear daughter,

  I cannot thank you enough for the love and kindness you have shown your father and me over the past months. While we are ready for this next chapter in our lives, we will miss you, Mike, Nate, and Lauren so, so much. I finally feel like a grandmother!

  I’m leaving you this recipe. Your soup on Thanksgiving was superb, better than I have ever managed to produce with the same ingredients. You are a good cook, Ann. And so is Lauren.

  I’ll be in touch. But until we talk, know that I love you very much. Mother

  Inhaling, she wiped away the tears on her cheeks. She was tired, so tired that all she could think about was rest. Ann put her feet on the carpet and stood, just long enough to peel back the quilt covering the bed. She sat back down, removed her Italian loafers, and then lay down, pulling the quilt over her shivering body. Emma had washed the sheets, but Ann smelled a faint vanilla scent on the pillow. She gently set the card and note down on the table, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

  Please turn the page for a special Q&A

  with Susan Kietzman!

  What is The Good Life?

  That’s an interesting question because it has many answers. It is defined by the person asked. To some, it means good health. To others, it means being with family, friends, or whoever brings warmth, love, and happiness to a relationship. It can mean opportunity for education, travel, leisure time, delicious food—many things, yes? And for most Americans, the good life describes an existence that includes everything already mentioned. It’s a life made easy and comfortable with material possessions, entitlements, and wealth. The wealthy can afford to do whatever they choose, and many aspire to this status. However, when we have whatever we think we want, do we lose sight of what we really want? Do we even know what that is anymore? The answer, like the question, is fluid. And it changes as we age and mature, as we experience loss, when we realize what we’ve been missing, or when we learn something unexpectedly.

  So, is The Good Life about this wealthy lifestyle and what we can learn from it? Why do most of us who aren’t rich want to read your book about rich people?

  Yes, Mike and Ann Barons are wealthy, and yes, we can learn from them. In some ways, they are very much like us. Of course, they don’t have to worry about the rent or the mortgage, or the grocery bill, or the electric bill, or job security. If Mike Barons lost his job, he wouldn’t need to find another one right away. But they do struggle. Ann is a wife, a mother, a daughter, and a friend, but she falls short in each of these important relationships. Mike is so occupied by his working life that he has lost track of his children and what’s important to them. And Nate and Lauren experience the same ups and downs of their less wealthy high school peers. The Baronses’ tremendous wealth gives them more options. But they still, like us, must overcome everyday obstacles.

  What makes your book different from the others on the shelf?

  The Good Life is a story about an American family. Americans, I think, are interested in their own country and in the people who live here. When we listen to or watch the news, we are often taken to other countries—to learn about power or human rights struggles or economic issues or foreign culture. There are many books that also take readers to other countries, and to other time periods. And this is good, if we are not to become an ethnocentric nation of narrow-minded thinkers. As a break from these mental travels around the world, I think it’s also good to think and read about this country, about who lives here, and what makes us Americans. StoryCorps on NPR features short interviews by and about Americans. I am inspired by these stories aired every Friday because there is something in almost every one I’ve heard that I can either relate to or learn from.

  Why did you write the book, and why now?

  Because the question “What is the good life?” has been bumping around my brain for a long time. It’s always been a relevant question, perhaps even more so in this challenging economic climate. In spite of our troubles, we all want to be taken away—to lavish summer lawn parties on perfect evening
s, with fabulously dressed people drinking champagne under the stars and muted floodlights of a white marble mansion. We can be taken in by these images, thinking that those who have great wealth must in some way be more important, smarter, or simply better than the rest of us. And yet, I know this isn’t necessarily true. The idea for the novel came from a variety of sources, one of which was my interest in exploring the complications or pitfalls that can come with money.

  Is there a message intended for the reader about the evils of wealth?

  Not at all. Wealth fascinates all of us because it is so powerful. People with money can do things; they can make a difference. They can use their money not only to enrich their lives, but also to change the dire circumstances of others. Until Ann’s parents arrive, the Baronses are focused on themselves. They are not particularly charity minded, preferring to cater to their personal desires. This, much more than the amount of money they have, may be the source of their dissatisfaction or disappointment.

  Is what you’re saying is that it’s okay to make a lot of money, as long as you share the wealth?

  Well, that’s up to the person with the money. We all have choices. One of the best choices I think we can make with our money and our time is to balance it. A little for me, a little for you, a little for him, a little for her. Time at the office, time at the gym, time for others, time for a good book. We all have things we have to do—whether it’s working or raising children or caring for parents, or going to school—and that takes most of the time and/or the money. We also have free time and a percentage of disposable income. What we choose to do with all of this time and money can define the “goodness” in our lives.

  A READING GROUP GUIDE

  THE GOOD LIFE

  Susan Kietzman

  ABOUT THIS GUIDE

  The suggested questions are included

  to enhance your group’s

  reading of Susan Kietzman’s

  The Good Life.

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. Ann appears to have had a fairly happy childhood growing up on a farm in Pennsylvania. What do you think turns her away from it as an adult?

  2. Ann is attracted to Mike in college because he is “great looking and powerful.” Why is Mike attracted to Ann, especially since he might be able to choose from a large pool of young women? Ann and Mike come from very different backgrounds; what do they have in common?

  3. Nate and Lauren are pretty typical teenagers: sometimes sarcastic and surly; sometimes withdrawn and insecure. With a workaholic and an avid shopper as role models, why aren’t Nate and Lauren insufferable? Or are they?

  4. When Sam and Eileen move in, why are Nate and Lauren drawn to them? What do Sam and Eileen provide that Mike and Ann do not?

  5. Sam’s Parkinson’s disease and dementia unnerve Mike, Ann, Nate, and Lauren. How does each of them handle Sam’s disabilities? How does Eileen treat her husband?

  6. What kind of relationship did Ann anticipate having with her parents when they moved in? What happened to those expectations?

  7. How does Ann’s drinking fit in with her need for control? Why does Mike put up with her drinking? What happens when her drinking becomes an issue on the Florida trip with Jesse, Paula, and Sally?

  8. Eileen seems to be a take-charge kind of person. Why does she often keep her thoughts to herself instead of sharing them with her daughter? What, if anything, does Sam add to Ann’s adult life?

  9. When Eileen and Sam leave at the end of the book, who is most upset and why?

  10. In the novel, who has the good life and who is still searching?

  11. What does the good life mean to you?

  KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  119 West 40th Street

  New York, NY 10018

  Copyright © 2013 by Susan Kietzman

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

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  ISBN: 978-0-7582-8132-6