The Universe is a Very Big Place (42 page)

My mother and best friend, Shari. She will always be the original Lanie.

 My writing group: Mike, Thomas, Walt, Becca, Vanessa and Whitney. I am so lucky to have found you all.

Julie, for always being there for me personally and professionally.

Everyone who reads my blog and short stories. Your enthusiasm for my words keeps me going.

The 7/11 man on TV Highway. For supplying me with diet coke at 7 in the morning and only charging me the refill price.

Thanks everyone!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

April M. Aasheim was the second oldest of six children, and spent her childhood living with her mother and her stepfather, traversing the Southwest, and following one ‘get rich quick’ dream after another. Though her travels were interesting and often brought her into contact with colorful and fascinating people, April longed for a
normal
life. Her early adult years were spent working as a preschool teacher, a social worker, and a community activist. She was also a wife and a parent. During this time she started writing about her life and the people she met. She also realized that there was no such thing as a normal life.

April currently lives in Portland, OR where she is happily married and trying her hand at gardening. She has published several short stories and is working on her second novel,
Maggie Maddock and the Witches of Dark Root.
She maintains an active blog about her adventures as a suburban housewife at 
http://aprilaasheim.blogspot.com/
.

THE UNIVERSE IS A VERY BIG PLACE

Copyright © 2012 by April M. Aasheim

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
 
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

Table of Contents

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN

TWENTY

TWENTY-ONE

TWENTY-TWO

TWENTY-THREE

TWENTY-FOUR

TWENTY-FIVE

TWENTY-SIX

TWENTY-SEVEN

TWENTY-EIGHT

TWENTY-NINE

THIRTY

EPILOGUE

ACKNOWELDGEMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CREDITS