For the last few years, I've shared a short story here on my blog, one piece a day for the week of my birthday. This is I think my fourth year to do this, although my birthday isn't technically until Sunday. It fit my calendar better this week. All the others are still on my blog under the link "Short Stories." Feel free to go back and read the others. And in the meantime, I have a new one this week. Enjoy! Here's part one. “Mom, is that for my birthday cake?” Ginny paused where she’d been putting the box of mix into the pantry. “Is this the flavor you wanted this year?” No point in reminding her almost-seven-year-old that his birthday came after hers. Or that he wasn’t even supposed to be born in the same month, but he decided to show up three weeks early. No point in suggesting they celebrate her this year instead of him … on her birthday. “Um, I don’t know.” Carter shifted from foot to foot. “Do you think chocolate would go well with a Lego birthday party?” “We can make any flavor work. You just tell me what you want and I’ll make sure we have it.” She pushed the box further back on the top shelf, relinquishing her hopes that it would magically appear baked and decorated for her in a few weeks. Not as long as Carter wanted to party. Part of motherhood—taking back seat to those she gave life to.
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Thanks so much for joining us this week. This is the final part of my birthday gift to you, a fun short story. I hope you loved it, or that it at least made your week a bit brighter. If you need to catch up, the first day is here, Tuesday is here, Wednesday is here, and Thursday is here. Enjoy the end! “Okay. Just a bit more.” Chris wedged his shoulder under the microwave while Tyler screwed it in above. “There.”
“That’s it?” Chris stepped out but kept a hand underneath it, just in case. The memory of the microwave taking a nose dive earlier was still fresh in his mind. “That’s it. Let’s see.” Tyler pushed the plug into the wall and the screen flashed four green zeros. “Ta da.” “I wish I’d called you in the first place. You might have kept me from almost getting electrocuted.” Chris stepped all the way back and admired their handiwork. Jane had been right. This one looked much nicer. Thanks so much for joining us this week to read my birthday gift to you, a short story. If you need to catch up, the first day is here, Tuesday is here, and yesterday is here. Have fun!
Thanks so much for joining us this week to read my birthday gift to you, a short story. If you need to catch up, the first day is here and yesterday is here. Have fun! If Chris had half the faith in how easy this project would be that Jane did, he wouldn’t have read the instructions three times. But he’d never been very handy at fixing things. Not like Jane’s dad and grandfather. And yet, she kept coming up with these “easy” projects she wanted them to tackle.
The idea of letting her down in any way tore him up inside. So, here he was again, trying to live up to her expectations. And wondering how he was going to fail this time. The screws on top came out easily enough. He worked them all the way up and then lowered himself to where Jane held up the appliance. Now, to lift it off ... “Okay. I’m going to try and lift it away. Ready?” “Got it.” She stepped back, allowing him room to maneuver. He gripped each side and jerked it forward, but it barely moved. Thanks so much for joining us this week to read my birthday gift to you, a short story. If you need to catch up, the first day is here. Have fun! Jane shouldn’t hover. But much as she tried to convince herself to back off, she remained seated at the table, watching Chris unbox her new microwave. Maybe hooking up appliances wasn’t romantic or fun, but ever since they’d moved into their house two years before, the microwave already installed over the stove had deteriorated with a rapidity that led her to believe its demise was imminent.
She was simply being proactive. Chris gave an extra-loud grunt as he lifted the thing from its Styrofoam cushion and plunked it onto her grandmother’s dining table. Jane bit back a groan as the possibility of scratches in the antique oak zipped through her mind. Not worth it. He was doing this for her. “Okay. Now what?” Jane rubbed her hands together. “Now, you let me look over the instructions.” Chris glanced at her above the new appliance and then returned to perusing the paperwork spread out in front of him. “Right.” She plopped back into her seat. For the last few years, I've shared a short story here on my blog, one piece a day for the week of my birthday. And once a person starts a tradition like that, she can't really stop, can she? So, I've written one for you this year based on something that really happened to my husband and me this summer. I'll let you guess which parts are true and which are made up. Enjoy! Here's part one. “I don’t want a bunch of stuff for my birthday.” Could there be any scarier statement than that? Chris could almost hear the threat between the words. He lowered the book he’d been reading and waited for Jane to drop the bomb. “What? Don’t give me that look. It’s true.” Jane’s pretty lips took on the pout that always made him want to kiss her, no matter what crazy plot she had brewing. Best to get it out at once instead of letting her torture him with all sorts of imaginings. “So, what do you want?” Please don’t say a puppy. “Well ...” A certain look entered her blue eyes, telling him what was coming might be worse than a new pet. “Know how we’ve been talking about replacing the microwave over the stove?” It's my birthday next week. Know what that means?
It means we're going to have fun! Want to know how? I've got several ways this year. Thanks so much for joining us this week. This is the final part of my birthday gift to you, a fun short story. I hope you loved it, or that it at least made your week a bit brighter. If you need to catch up, the first day is here, Tuesday is here, Wednesday is here, and Thursday is here. Enjoy the end! Rachel mulled over what she thought she heard in the background on Chris’s end. Had his GPS actually told him to take the exit she was about to turn on? Maybe she assumed that’s what she heard because it was on her brain.
“We’re getting close now.” Kathy pointed to the right. “It says turn here and go about five miles.” “Sounds good.” “Are you rooming with someone or did you reserve a room to yourself?” Kathy leaned back. “I hate sharing a room. I always fear my snoring will keep them awake.” “Oh. No. I’m rooming with someone I met at a local group a year ago. She’s coming up from a different direction. But we both needed the discount.” “I understand. Anyone who thinks writers do this for the money are crazy. I always want to apologize to my accountant when I turn in my expense report at the end of the year.” Kathy rambled on for the rest of the ride and even halfway through the state park as they meandered their way through cathedral-like trees and past the golf course. Rachel gratefully parked and grabbed her two bags before heading into the hotel and conference center. She’d check in to her room first and then figure out where everyone was meeting. The man at the counter held up a finger while finishing up a phone call. “Yes.” He hung up and lifted a brow. “I have a reservation. Rachel Hall.” Thanks so much for joining us this week to read my birthday gift to you, a short story. If you need to catch up, the first day is here, Tuesday is here, and yesterday is here. Have fun! If it were any other ringtone, Chris would ignore it. After all, he had a fifteen-year-old he had to set an example for, and breaking the law wasn’t the way to do it. However, it was Rachel’s song, and with her on the road, he didn’t want to risk missing something important.
“Hey Rach.” He pushed the button to send the call through his car’s speaker system. “Chris, where are you?” “What?” He glanced around, making sure she wasn’t actually in one of the cars nearby. “Why?” “Maddie just called and said you didn’t come back to pick her up after practice.” Rachel’s voice was near tears. “Calm down. I talked to her about the plan earlier and she knows what it is. She’s not stranded. I promise. She probably forgot it would be a different vehicle and looked for yours.” He searched his brain to make sure he hadn’t said anything he wasn’t ready to reveal yet. “So, you picked her up?” “It’s taken care of.” He hated that he was having to phrase things in a way it was almost a falsehood, but she’d understand soon enough. “Okay. I just worried. I mean, she was supposed to have left half an hour ago and she just called in the last ten minutes ...” Thanks so much for joining us this week to read my birthday gift to you, a short story. If you need to catch up, the first day is here and yesterday is here. Have fun! Rachel pushed through the garage door, arms full of plastic bags. Chris’s voice carried from the direction of his office—must be on a phone call. Of course. And Maddie was nowhere to be found. Looked like two more trips to the car for her.
She set the last bags on the counter and started putting things away. There should be enough time to throw Benjamin’s stinky things in the wash before she left this afternoon. Assuming he came home right after practice. “What’s that?” Maddie appeared at Rachel’s elbow as she unbagged several frozen meals. “Food that’s easy for you guys to fix while I’m gone. I meant to make a few things in advance, but then I got busy with a new story idea and the next thing I knew, I was out of time.” Rachel stuffed the pasta and veggie dish into the freezer. “At least this way I know you’ll eat something besides pizza or burgers.” “What’s wrong with pizza and burgers?” Maddie opened a pack of cookies and stuffed one in her mouth. “Besides all the carbs and fat?” Rachel snatched the package away and stashed it in the top of the pantry before her daughter could eat another. “Nothing. But veggies are better for you.” “You act like you’re going to be gone forever.” Maddie rolled her eyes. “It’s only a weekend.” |
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