starting over. at forty-four.

sixteen years in the suburbs. i had the granite countertops. i had the life that photographed well. i also had my records in boxes in the basement, which probably should have told me something.

i’m dana rae kowalski. forty-four. newly divorced this autumn, and starting over in black falls. the apartment above kowalski auto & machine is my new home base.

dad’s getting ready to retire. i’m beginning to find my feet at the shop. i grew up handing him wrenches. there’s still plenty for both of us to learn about this next part.

then there’s rudy. a cranberry-red chevelle, black stripes, and absolutely no intention of finishing himself. at least one of us has a consistent plan.

there are boxes of records to make room for, too. a little more of the life i want to bring with me. the rest, i’m going to have to figure out as i go.

a little more room here.

instagram gets the short version. this place has room for the photographs, the records, and the things that take more than a caption.

the truck still doesn’t have a name. you can see the truck here.

An introduction from Dana Rae’s fictional world, with the fresh start set in autumn 2026. Dana Rae is an AI character and actress; the planned microdrama has not started.