Monday, April 15, 2013

Great expectations


color (noun)
1a : a phenomenon of light (as red, brown, pink, or gray) or visual perception that enables one to differentiate otherwise identical objects
  b (1) : the aspect of the appearance of objects and light sources that may be described in terms of hue, lightness, and saturation for objects and hue, brightness, and saturation for light sources
     (2) : a color other than and as contrasted with black, white, or gray
2a : an outward often deceptive show : appearance
  b : a legal claim to or appearance of a right, authority, or office
  c : a pretense offered as justification : pretext
  d : an appearance of authenticity : plausibility
3: complexion tint:





I don’t think my feet touched the floor that entire day.  I know I didn't actually levitate, but it would have taken a lot to convince me that I was actually earthbound, because I felt like I was floating.  There was a smile plastered on my face you couldn't have scraped off with a hammer and a chisel.  It felt like my insides were going to just burst through my abdomen from the excitement and anticipation.

I knew I had to do something special for him, so I drove to the store and bought all of the ingredients for his favorite meal.  Cooking would keep me busy; cooking would keep me focused and stop me from bouncing around the house like a rubber ball on speed.  He’d be home at 5:30.  I just had to hold on until then.

Hours felt like aeons as I chopped and sauteed and boiled and baked.  It was a veritable feast, and a total departure from my cooking habits of late.  Surely, a meal like this would give my secret away before I was ready.  But it was too late to stop now.  I knew he would be thrilled to see a cheesecake chilling in the refrigerator.  And the smell of chicken wafting through the house was divine; it would grab him the moment he walked through the door.

Finally, I heard the front door open.  He came into the kitchen, and I turned to greet him.  I probably looked like a madwoman--hair wild and curly from the steam, face flushed, color in my cheeks from the heat and my excitement, a Mona Lisa smile on my face and tears in my eyes.

Before I ever said a word, he knew.  “Yes?” he asked.  “Yes,” I whispered, tears now rolling freely down my cheeks.  

22 comments:

  1. And I know too! Great build-up of tension! Was worried, but all good!

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    1. Yes, definitely all good! Thanks for reading!

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  2. I felt her anticipation. I get the sense it was welcome news for him, so I see it as a "happy ending" :)

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  3. I love all the details leading up to the big reveal. And I love that he guessed before being told.
    Nicely done!

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  4. You made my mouth water with all that talk of a scrumptious meal. I'm so glad this is such a happy piece.

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    1. I was making myself hungry! Thank goodness for word limits--it helps me edit myself, otherwise, there would have been a ridiculously long description of the fictional meal. I may have even included recipes. Yeah, I'm *that* guy. ;)

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  5. Is she pregnant? Fiction or non-fiction? Either way it's a nicely paced happy piece. Made me smile.

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    1. Yes, pregnant. Fiction definitely! Glad you liked it. ;)

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  6. Very well done. Good details.

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  7. I always love when writers give a hint of the revelation part way through a story - it lets you feel like you're in on a secret if you figure it out. Nice job!

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    1. I actually had a hard time deciding whether or not to reveal the secret. The blabbermouth in me was fighting hard to let it all out! Thanks for reading!

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  8. The build-up to the reveal is great. You can really feel her excitement and it makes you want to rush to the end to see how the husband will take it. Plus the story is sweet as hell.

    Thanks for linking up!

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  9. Love the smile that you couldn't scrape off with a hammer and a chisel.
    You certainly got the excitement and anticipation across! Fun.

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    1. Ha ha...can you tell I'm a die-hard DIYer? I love tools!

      Thanks for reading!

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  10. Beautiful story! I was so glad to see that it ended with a life beginning and not ending!

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    1. This one definitely felt like it needed to be a "happily ever after" story to me. Thanks for reading!

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  11. Lovely take on the prompt-made me happy just reading it:-)Wondered if it was a continuation from your last week's story & was she happy about her being cancer free or is this an entirely different type of good news,announcing the arrival of a new life?Either way,you rocked:-)

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    1. This one was a new story. Last week's entry was about my mom and her 11-year-long battle with cancer. This week's just came out of nowhere, really. Glad you liked it. Thanks for reading!

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  12. Read like a movie montage - one with a great soundtrack, the frenzied cooking, the zinging around, the buoyant joy.

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