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- Signature Author
- 08/17/2019
- 749 Words
- 1,526 Views
- 19 Comments
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
Promptings from Valhalla - 36. Family Ties
The Writer’s Toolbox
First Sentence: My mother was doing that thing she did. That thing with the rag in the sink.
Non Sequitur: She found a diamond bracelet in the back of the car.
Last Sentence: the thing he does with the newspaper
My mother was doing that thing she did. That thing with the rag in the sink. The dishrag had to be folded just-so when she did the dishes. First, she’d fold the square piece of fabric in half, then run it under warm water. Then that half would be folded in half and dipped in a tub of soapy water. Then she’d repeat the process three times. Only then would she be ready to actually wash the dishes. It used to drive me nuts when I was I kid, but now I found it oddly endearing.
“Can I help?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
“You can dry,” she stated, as she worked on removing the remnants of her famous meatloaf from our plates.
“Sure thing.” I stood and removed a patterned towel from the drawer next to the fridge. I watched her wash several dishes before taking one from the dishrack and drying it. We worked silently, our thoughts punctuated by the click and clang of corelle ware and cutlery. Cleaning up after dinner for just the two of us normally took all of ten minutes. Now it took about fifteen. Five extra minutes doesn’t sound like a lot, but our meal wasn’t any larger than we typically made. And mom was only in her early sixties. Much too young to be slowing down.
“Did I tell you Sarah found the bracelet she lost?” she asked as she handed me a glass.
“The diamond one Phil gave her for their anniversary? She was so upset about losing it. Where was it?”
“In the back of the car. She thinks it fell off when she was unloading the groceries.”
“Well good thing she found it.”
“Yeah.”
“So how’s Henry?”
I almost dropped the glass. “He’s great. I, uh… actually wanted to talk to you about him.”
She handed me the last plate to dry and unfolded the dishcloth in order to rinse out the soap, then draped it over the faucet. “Let’s go sit in the living room.” She walked through the kitchen and sat on the couch, slightly unsteady, but with determined strides. I put the last plate away and followed.
Her hand shook slightly as she placed it around mine and squeezed. “You’re my baby boy, you know that, right?”
I smiled. “Yeah, mom. I know. You tell me every time. But thirty is hardly a baby.”
“You could be a hundred and you’ll still be my baby.” She patted my cheek. “Wait here. I have something for you.”
She stood and walked to her bedroom, returning in only a couple of minutes. She sat next to me and turned to face me, sitting sideways. She reached for my hand and pressed something cold and solid into it. Tears slid down her cheeks.
I looked at what she had given me and gasped. My heart pounded. “Mom… what?”
“It’s your father’s wedding ring. I want you to have it. I think Henry will approve, don’t you?”
I stared at her, mouth open. “But how? How did you know?”
She snorted. “Honey, I wasn’t born yesterday. I’ve known from the beginning that Henry was more than your roommate. It’s about time you made it official.”
“How did you know I wanted to propose?”
“Your brothers had the same look in their eyes when they talked about proposing to their spouses. And your father, God rest his soul, had the same look in his when bent down on one knee and said ‘marry me, babe’.”
I laughed. That was my dad. Always to the point.
“So you approve?”
She nodded. “Of course I approve. Henry makes you happy. And he’s a delightful young man. I’m so proud of you, sweetheart.”
I drew her into a tight hug. “Thank you,” I whispered.
“So what made you decide to pop the question?”
I grinned. “You know that thing Dad used to do with the newspaper? How he had to turn right to the word puzzles and complete them before he read any of the articles? And no one could touch the paper until he was done with it. Well, Henry does the same exact thing. When I realized that, I knew I never wanted to let him go.”
My mom sniffled into a tissue. “I didn’t think anyone read the paper anymore. Isn’t everything online now?”
“Yeah, but Henry’s old-fashioned. Another thing I love about him.”
“Then cherish every moment.”
I hugged her again. “I will, mom. I will.”
Thanks for reading!
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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