Guest blogger is Emma Morgan, a character from my novel, DEATH BY GRAMMY
Hello everyone,
I’m the third member of the character ensemble from DEATH BY GRAMMY. The story centers around Nan, with Loralee and me as her sidekicks. As Lor said last week, they’ve been friends since junior high. I met Nan when she and I were freshmen at the University of Tennessee and going through sorority rush. We pledged the same sorority, did some finagling so we could be roommates, and have been tight ever since. Loralee wasn’t at UT–at least not as a student. She was there plenty on the weekends.
Unlike my two friends who are both only children, I’m from a large Catholic family. I am the oldest girl of six siblings. One of my three brothers is older. My ancestors practically came over on the boat and settled in Nashville. I’m a ninth or tenth generation Nashvillian; the family can’t agree on which. My dad and his older brother still run the family business which was founded around 18oo.
They could’ve modeled Suzy Homemaker after my mom. She’s a fantastic cook, sews like a dream, and has more cleaning tips than Heloise. In addition she volunteers all over town in her spare time. I’ve yet to figure out how she does it. She had a really bad spell of depression when I was in college and sometimes I’m afraid I’ve inherited that. Thankfully she survived it and I’m sure I will too. She was a good mom but she’s a great grandmother. Counting my two girls she has eleven grandchildren and all but three are here in Nashville. I have one sister who just got married last year so she doesn’t have children yet, and my youngest brother is still single.
I met Josh when I was in graduate school at Vanderbilt and he was a first year law student. We’ve been married almost ten years and have two beautiful daughters. Amelia Grace is seven and Abigail Rose is five. It’s difficult being a mom. You want your children to grow up and be independent but when they don’t think they need you anymore, it feels like they’ve plunged a dagger through your heart.
It’s also tough being a wife when your husband works the kind of hours Josh does as an Assistant District Attorney. I don’t think Nan and Loralee really understand my situation since neither of them has ever been married nor had children. They’re the godmothers to our girls, so that makes them a part of our family but I’d really like for both of them to find someone special, settle down and start their own families. I think it would deepen our relationships if we had this in common.
I’ll log off now that you know me a little better. Nan will be back next week.
Blessings,
Emma
