We all have that one friend—the one who looks at us at midnight, the one who holds our hair back when we puke, the one who deliver snacks, the good snacks.  And yeah, the one who sees our potential long before we do. For me, that’s Ava (not her real name btw.).

For years, I wrote in secret. Journals, short stories, even half-finished novels tucked away on my laptop. Writing is my only escape, my passion, but never something I thought I could turn into a career.

Then one day, over coffee, (which lead to day drinking)  Ava called me out. “Stella, you’re a writer. Why aren’t you actually publishing your stuff?”

I laughed, but she didn’t. Instead, she sent me links to Amazon, links to other authors, links to some really weird shit – and yes, self-publishing platforms, writing groups, and the list goes on.  Ava challenged me to finish just one book, just one and even pushed me through The Rocker (yay.) When doubt crept in, she shut it down.

And you know what? She was right.

That push, that belief, that unwavering support—it changed everything. Because of Ava, I took the leap, published The Rocker, and now I’m working on book #2 and #3 – fucking Ava.

Sometimes, yes all you need is the one friend who doesn’t care, and reminds you that you, really just want to be you.