“Jamie’s moms weren’t sure if they should invite Linda too?”
It was a question containing more questions, nestled like a stack of paper cups. One of the contained questions was about Dad and Jimmy’s mom. Linda.
“Dad?”
“She’s never coming back, August.”
“Linda?”
“Huh? No. Not Linda. Your mother. She’s never coming back.” The admission crept like gray dawn across his face.
My voice cracked. “Like Jimmy.”
“Linda’s hurting bad.”
“It’s no reason to not like Jamie.”
“I told her that.” He let his breath out slowly. “Thanksgiving will be a nice interlude. Just you, me, and Jamie’s family.”
The September 19, 2019, Carrot Ranch prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about an interlude. It can be a pause between two key moments, the pause between acts in a play, an intermission, or a temporary amusement Go where the prompt leads you!
This 99 word episode follows Stepping Out.
Thanksgiving is a touchy holiday. Great post, D!
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Thanks Miriam. I’m not so sure this one stands strong enough on its own. It’s a continuation of previous flashes. It now seems a little drafty to me.
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I could feel it. It’s good, D.
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August seems to have a lot to deal with at a young age. Poor kid.
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I think things are getting better for him, believe it or not. And his dad too. If I can write my way out of this.
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That’s the fun part. Once you write into that inescapable corner, then it clicks, and that corner opens up into a vast field of opportunities.
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Ha! Too many opportunities, not enough time.
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I know that one.
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Hope it works out for him in the end. Good story
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Thanks.
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The emotion is there. It would make a good sequence nestled with the previous story and perhaps an Act III.
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Yeah, this isn’t all there, nor is it all there is. It was tuff, pared down to 99 words here. It is a nestled piece, but this is all I’m showing this week.
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I had to read it a few times, but it’s a powerful flash. There’s a lot of adult strife there for a kid to handle. Lots of emotional tension, well conveyed.
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As Charli notes, the one kinda needs the previous scene(s) and maybe even the next one, to stand on its own. But thank you for reading it! Sorry to make you work so hard for it It’s more of a draft than a flash.
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I’m curious now. I’ll check out the previous scenes:)
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Any holiday can be a drag if the wrong relatives or ‘friends of the family’ are included.
We knew a gal who always invited this one gent that was a friend of her hubby’s… but one year he bit off more than he could chew when he only opened his mouth to exchange feet. That was the last year he was invited back…
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