Work Text:
Dear author, this is how I read your story.
My heart gives a small flutter whenever I see your pen name at the top of my inbox. I smile when the update notification comes in, but I do not click it right away. I wait until I have a quiet moment, letting the anticipation stretch a little longer, until finally I am too impatient to resist.
I sit down with my phone and make everything quiet. No background noise, no notifications, nothing pulling at my attention. Just me, opening the door into the world you have made for yourself and for us.
I do not jump straight to the newest chapter. First I go back to the previous one, to reacquaint myself with where I last left these characters, to let the excitement gather again now that I know there is more waiting for me at the end of it. Besides, my memory is not always the best, I tell myself, but that is hardly the point in this case. I know exactly where we left off.
When I finally reach the new chapter, I become greedy for the words. I try to pace myself. I try to discipline my eyes when they want to drop to the bottom of the page. I want to savor each paragraph, but I still reach the end too quickly, and when I do, I scroll back up to reread the lines that struck me most.
When I get to the bottom I tap the little heart button, knowing full well I‘ve already left kudos on this work a million times before. I read through some of the comments from familiar usernames, and then I hurry to leave my own. I give thanks for the new chapter and for the care you continue to take with my favorite characters. I try to put into words my admiration, not only for the writing itself, but for the discipline it takes to keep carrying a story forward through time, through the shape and demands of a life I know nothing about.
I put my phone down and return to my own life, already looking forward to the next time I get to come back to this place, this ritual, beloved and consistent, because this, dear author, is how you write your story.