parents

The boundless love a parent has for their child is matched only by their capacity to embarrass them.

The Final Goodbye
“Mag… Sweetie, your father passed.” “What did you just say, Darius? Dad died?” Magdalena replied tearfully. Darius pulled her into himself and began to stroke her curly brunette hair.
By Amber Hackiewicz5 years ago in Families
The Last Red
She carries another box up the stairs. Beginning the task of settling her father's estate, alone. The cellar hasn't been touched in years. It is filled with her fathers tools. Odd metal tools from his time in the military fixing planes, seldom-used gardening implements, tubes and carboys for making a few bottles of wine each year. It's the bottles of wine she's moving now, not sure what to do with them but reluctant to let them go to waste. She returns to the cool air, the buzz of the old incandescent bulb that barely casts more than a candles worth of light. In the dark, her foot knocks a bottle onto its side, but the seal holds strong and the bottle doesn't break. It chatters across the concrete, rolling under the narrow wooden shelf that holds its relatives, stopping short against something in the shadow. A small black notebook.
By Gavin5 years ago in Families
The Journey
The alarm pounds, it’s 6am another dreary cold winters morning, Abby touches the snooze button as she sleepily rolls onto her side, clutching at the doonah for warmth. Tiny foot steps pitter patter down the hall, the floor boards creak as pressure is placed on them upon the entrance to the bedroom door, “mummy?!” A faint voice calls out, Abby lifts her body to sit up in bed as she gestures her little boy to come for a cuddle, he races over, carrying his favourite stuffed bunny and rolled up pyjama pants. “Good morning, my baby” as Abby pulls him up onto the bed kissing his cheeks, “it’s Monday, and today you have swimming at school” Abby explains, Joseph smiles as he climbs down from the bed and begins to get ready for school. Abby sighs as she glances out her window and drags herself up to commence the day. She enters the kitchen, her attention is first drawn to the notice to leave letter attached to her fridge. Abby and Joseph have 3 days to vacate the premises and after failed attempt after attempt at obtaining a new rental property, Abby feels they may be homeless. Her thoughts are disrupted as Joseph enters the room, “how do I look?!” He proudly asks, “spectacular” Abby replies with a smile.
By Breigh Bonner5 years ago in Families
Better Days
The neon pizza sign on the corner of 1st and Lafayette flashed through the window in my small second-story apartment. The relentless wind of the city whistled through the cracks in the sill. A tiny soul that occupied all of my heart slept one room over at the base of my bed in the same crib I slumbered in 25 years ago.
By Spencer K. Prescott5 years ago in Families
Rosella's Tapestry
It was an unusually sunny day that greeted Rosella upon waking. Brooklyn had been submerged in rain the past two weeks and it was a relief to be able to look out her window without a curtain of gray. Home on summer break from her studies as a botany major, Rosella was still grappling with the death of her father, Alvaro, who died a few weeks ago in a car accident. It was hard. They’d always been close and really only had each other; her mom died when she was too young to remember and her father was an orphan.
By Dana Root5 years ago in Families
Family
Eva was a young girl in her 20s who was nor outstandingly beautiful nor ugly. She was just an average girl with an average life in an average city. One day, as she was leaving her boring office job, as she came to call it, she decided to walk home instead of taking the train. She was longing for a better life; perhaps, she was longing for a more adventures existence and for someone whom she could discover the world with. In her mind, her life was boring. Maybe her spontaneous decision to walk home will be the key for a new life; a life that she has been imagining and dreaming of for a while now. Eva always fantasised about discovering something like people do in telenovelas.
By Melinda A. Komuves5 years ago in Families
To catch a break
The mother obeys the playful tumble of candlelight as it beckons her into the muggy room, and she breathes. Deeply. Her lungs are coated by the scent of lavender bath oil that it feels like all new mums are given, combined with burning wicks and melting wax. Her eyes relax and soften in the dimmed light. Her skin begins to prickle.
By Sarah Emmerson5 years ago in Families
Belfast
Little Black Book “ My dearest Roiseen ( ro sheen) Happy Birthday!!!! I wish I could be there to celebrate with you. I’m so sorry for putting you, your siblings and your mother through everything I did.
By Erica Jordan5 years ago in Families
Return to Langley Park
Part 1 He thumbed the pages, taking great care to not crease or tear them. The yellowing parchment felt crisp and alert in his hands. So focussed on what he had been handed, Peter hadn't noticed his knee shuddering, or his sharp, shallow breath. Coming to rest on a section of scrawled, hurried writing, his right hand swept across his temple, the nails leaving pressured imprints on his forehead, quickly disappearing into his heavily furrowed brow. Inky fingertips stained from the article he had been printing moments before Master Bennington appeared in his doorway and summoned him to hear the will being read. The letters spiked and slashed across each page, purposeful, barely legible, but he had made out his name. And the wishes of the recently deceased bestowed upon him.
By Amelia W5 years ago in Families
Book of Shadows
The sound of boot heels hitting the wet pavement grew faster and faster as Willow makes her way through the pouring rain. She keeps her head down with the hood of her long black coat pulled over, black book in hand, she walks into her local dive bar where she’s been going for as long as she can remember. Once she walks in, she makes a b-line toward her usual seat and waves down the bartender.
By Desiree Lozano5 years ago in Families
Our Adventure
Our Adventure, by Monica Nyilas The noise from the living room softens as I make my way up the stairs. I feel the smoothness of the banister as my hand glides on top. I gaze upon the pictures hanging on the walls and am filled with the warmth of those memories. The joy they bring as a tiny smile escapes the corner of my mouth as I make the last step up of the stairs. I come up on the top landing while listening to the hum of the people below. I close my eyes and take a deep breath allowing myself this moment of peace and quiet. It’s not too long before I am meant in front of a door. My head hangs low, my chest is heavy; I am filled with fear and sadness. My hand slowly reaches for the door knob, head still hanging low, eyes closed tight while I release a deep breath and gently open the door. I open my eyes to a normal bedroom. The bed is made, all nicely tucked, the curtains blow whisps across the floor as a gentle breeze from the open window fills the room, and the light shines softly bringing warmth. Peaceful and content as the room should be. I make my way over to the bed and sit careful not to disturb the perfectly made bed. I pause for a moment, taking in a breath of the spring air gifted by the open window. Cautiously I look over to the nightstand and see a picture in a frame. I carefully reach out and grab the picture. I hold it firmly in both hands. I look down at the picture while a single tear falls down my face and onto the frame. Quickly wiped away by my thumb, I pull the picture closer; at this moment the tears begin to fall like rain from a cloud. I hold the picture at my heart, the place where the memory will live forever. I stay in this moment alone and untouched.
By Monica Nyilas5 years ago in Families
Lost Property
It had always seemed to Anne Mary, that who or what gave out luck had been having a bad day when she entered the world. That, or she must have broken several mirrors and was reaping the consequences all at one time.
By Caitlyn E5 years ago in Families