This week, I'm sharing a little from my book,Discovery. I for one love short stories....something to read during an appointment waiting period or right before I fall to sleep. I absolutely hate waiting to find out what happens, so shorts fill my need. Each of the stories in this book were published individually by another publisher. I've combined them into one book for your reading entertainment. This is a portion from Joy's Revelation:
Joy didn’t mean for the door to slam when she walked into
the front foyer. Her mother, clad in her
apron and flour on her hands, appeared in the kitchen doorway. “Oh, you’re back so soon? Did you forget something?”
With a big inhalation, Joy steadied herself. “We need to talk, Mom, and right now.”
Her mother’s eyes grew wide beneath arched brows. “All right, but you’re scaring me with such a
serious look on your face and the tone of your voice. Did something happen?”
“Please, can we just sit?
I need to ask you something very important…and you need to tell me the
truth.”
Her mother’s mouth drew into a thin line. She stared at her hands, back at Joy, and
then released a loud breath that showed her frustration. “I suppose supper can wait. Let me clean up
and I’ll be right back.”
Joy tossed her purse aside and sat on the edge of the sofa,
sorting through her options. Was she
doing the right thing in confronting her mother alone? Should she wait for her father…even include
Scott in the conversation? Nerves
churned her insides into knots. She
clasped her hands in her lap and waited.
Sand in the Sahara couldn’t be any drier than her mouth. She wanted answers and she wanted them now.
“Okay, okay, here I am.”
Mom appeared, running her just-washed hands down the front of her
apron. “Now, what’s got you in such a
dither?” She sat in her rocker and
stared across at Joy.
Joy fluttered her lips with an exhalation. “I don’t know where to start. I’m so upset.
I think I’m gonna throw up.” She
rubbed her hand across the furrows in her brow.
“What is it, dear?”
Her mother cocked her head.
“You’ve never had a problem talking to me. We’ve always been able to discuss
everything.”
“Have we really?” Joy leveled an icy stare at her.
“Well, I thought we had a pretty open line of communication
between us.”
“I thought so, too, until
I found the secret you’ve been keeping from me in your cedar chest.”
Her mother leaned forward, confusion clouding her eyes. “Whatever are you talking about?”
Joy steeled herself.
“Who is Joey Andrew Garrett?”
A gasp sliced the silence.
Her mother’s mouth gaped.
“Well?”
Tears welled in her mom’s eyes and her throat wobbled with a
hard swallow. “I-I can’t discuss this
right now.” She bolted to her feet and
raced upstairs. The slamming of her
bedroom door wobbled the glass panes in the front window.
Stunned, Joy stared at the floor. So much for open communication, but this
wasn’t over. Someone was going to offer
up some answers, and if it had to be her father, then so be it.
Her familiar ringtone sliced the silence. She reached for her pocketbook and retrieved
her cellphone. “Hello.”
“Hi, Sweetie. Rough
day? You sound down.”
“You might say that.
Can you stop by on your way home from work?”
“I suppose so, but what’s going on?” His voice held a nervous tone.
“I wish I knew. I
guess we’ll find out together when you and my father get here.”
You can find all my books on Amazon. After you check out my short story collection, then hop over to my friends and check out their posts today. See you next week.
http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/ (Juliet Waldron)
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