going home

This week's prompt asked you to spread a little joy. 

You were to write a piece where you or your character overcame a challenge and, even if it's just for a moment, has a happy ending. We also asked you to surprise us - don't go with the obvious.

I have used the characters depicted in this piece in a previous story, so if you're interested you might like to read the escape to get to know them better.

Daisy eased the car into drive turned on the radio letting the oldies music wash over her. She really didn't want to have to think about what she was going to have to do but how could she not? Daisy ran the scenario over and over in her mind of a good marriage gone badly; the last straw in a failing marriage the month before. Now it was time to start the moving on process; but first she needed to complete the moving out process.

A mere twenty minutes later the house that she had lived in with her husband and children came into view, she pulled into the driveway and the garage door opened up as she edged towards it. As she entered the house she carefully and lovingly ran her hand over her possessions making a mental note of which items she was going to take back to her mother’s house with her.


Time past rather quickly as she gathered up a full carload of all the things that she wanted for her and the boys. Her husband Charlie and Daisy agreed on what she would take; that was the only thing they could agree on lately however. 

She got back in the car rolled down the window but didn't turn on the music this time, she needed to think. Warm air rushed against her face and the air whooshed in her ears but it could not drown out the guilt she was feeling  about how short her temper had been with the children lately. Her emotions were raw; she felt so out of control. She felt like a failure as a mother as a wife,  and now she had to go crawling home to her mother  because she couldn't even keep a roof over their heads; God she was pitiful!

She got back to her Moms within a few hours’ time. Lily, her mother met her at the door concerned for her daughter.
"How are you honey?" her mother asked.
"I'm fine Momma, I just want to get this over with," as tears filled her eyes.
"Sweetie however long you need to be here, this house is open for you and the boys, you know that don't you?" said Lily.
“I know that Momma," Daisy replied.
But in Daisy's mind this just wasn't home, her home. Resentment bubbled up for the fact that she had to leave the house that she and the kids were comfortable in. 

Suddenly there was a commotion and the boys came running towards her like gang busters. They jumped on Daisy hugging and kissing her as she fell to the floor, "Mommy your back, we love you, we missed you." And at that moment Daisy knew as long as she had her children; no matter where then she was home.

waiting for the other shoe

This week's prompt focused on character development. We asked you to tell us what your character - or you -wants. It's a way to get to know your character or yourself better.

I have a confession to make; I wasn't the greatest student when I was in school. The thing I disliked most about school was reading. When completing school I went right to work and did not attend college. 

I married early at the age of 22 and started a family right away. It wasn't until I had my children that I learned the how purely divine it could be to immerse myself in good novel. How could I have not realized earlier how truly wonderful reading was? Each book I read was like a mini vacation a learning experience and with that realization I was hooked. I then began ingesting books sometimes as many as two or more a week. 

Until the accident that is. Did you ever get the feeling like you're waiting for the other shoe to drop? That feeling was so intense after my son and daughter died in the accident that I couldn't function for quite a long time.

The worst of that has abated but my concentration is still affected. It's been almost five years now and I'm fully functional except for one thing that has still not returned; my concentration. I cannot concentrate long enough to read a novel from cover to cover. I'd loved to sink my teeth into a good book, and I miss that so much. Oh how I wish I could.

the escape

Write a short piece - 600 words max - that begins with the words, 

"This was absolutely the last time" and ends with "She was wrong."

"This was absolutely the last time," Daisy said to her mother.


"Be quiet you guys and goooo to sleep or eeeelse," she yelled to the kids loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear! 


That was met by a chorus of groans. "I am not going to get up again," she yelled.  


But of course her mother Lily knew she would. 

Mother and daughter had been watching a movie in the living room on the new DVD player. Throughout the movie they kept on hearing the chatter and the giggles and the occasional bang of the kids in the bedroom  near the front of the house. 

"You know how it is when the kids are over tired Daisy," Lily said.


Daisy had told them to settle down more times than she could count. She knew what her mother was saying was true but somehow it didn't help to soothe her frustration.


"Mom I'm getting really tired of this crap; I don't even know what this movie's about," she exclaimed! 

Then came the rattle of the cookie wrapper from the kitchen, the sound was unmistakable. But a quick peek through the door and down the hallway showed no child in sight.

Daisy returned to the couch, closed her eyes for a minute and took a deep breath; when she opened them her mother was grinning.

"Oh Mom, I could have sworn I heard that cookie wrapper rattling  a second ago, really I did!" 

Lilly laughed," oh it's just the boys give them a break Daisy."



Lily was thinking to herself the kids were probably snitching cookies, after all little boys are always hungry for cookies.


"Mom I'm done, I mean it!"  "If I catch the kids out of bed they're in big trouble so you can wipe that smile off your face and it is not funny!" 

Daisy got up off the couch and edged down the hallway and was greeted by an empty kitchen; all she saw was an open package of Oreo Cookies on the counter top.

Then ever so quietly she cracked opened the bedroom door and entered to check on the children.


"They look like they're sleeping," she said to herself in a whisper.


Curious she stepped closer, light streaming thru the curtains she could see each was breathing deeply in and out in and out. Their sleep was sound, the type of deep sleep that cannot be faked by children that young.

Back in the kitchen Daisy called out," Momma, want some cookies and tea?" "Thanks honey," was the reply. 


She picked up the package of cookies with the intention of taking some cookies out of the package when a mouse jumped out from under the cellophane wrapper.

Dropping the cookies she swallowed back a half scream- half laugh as she watched the little mouse escape across the kitchen floor. Daisy then muttered into the air with a grin." If Mom thought the kids were in those cookies I can say with out a doubt that she was wrong."

To those who read this piece
I've never tried my hand at writing fiction.

Fiction is scary to me!

In the interest of full disclosure, we did have an incident at my Mom's house with a mouse in the Oreo's once. So that part of the story is true; the rest if made up completely by me. 

So when you read this piece be honest but gentle on this fiction newbie!