Happy New Year to all! May blessings abound. May your positive dreams come true. Sincere thoughts for healing and good health, a loving family and friends, prosperity and abundance, rewarding creativity, giving and receiving in flow, oneness with spirit, attunement with mother earth, and alignment of mind/heart/body-thoughts/emotions/actions. May your 2025 rock!
Welcome to Tuesday Tales, powered by a small group of authors, where word prompts inspire passages in the books we’re writing. Today’s word is year. The excerpt is from a vintage 1950’s holiday WIP. When you finish reading, make sure to visit all the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.
“Mama, will Daddy still know me?”
Taken by surprise, Sandra looked around for a place to set the armful of ironed sheets she carried. Depositing the bundle on the corner of an ebony dresser, she bent down to Susie’s level. Wide, anxious blue eyes locked onto hers. Longing to chase away the doubt caused by a father’s long absence, she smiled and playfully pulled on a lock of honey-colored hair. “Darling, of course Daddy will know his best girl. He would never forget one hair on your precious noggin.”
Sandra followed Susie’s gaze to a photograph mounted on the light green wall. It depicted their little family, the three of them, posed on the steps of the county courthouse. The chubby hands of a younger Susie clutched at the collar of her father’s uniform as he held her in his arms. It had been taken the morning Jeffrey boarded the train for Fort Benning, shortly before his unit departed for Korea. “Are you sure, Mama? I’m seven now. Daddy hasn’t seen me seven.”
Sandra pushed aside her own insecurities at how her soldier would be when he returned to a wife and daughter after being away for three years. She hugged Susie warmly, determined to lighten the mood. “You’re a big girl now, that’s for sure, but we’ve sent Daddy pictures all along, remember? He knows exactly what you look like this very second.”
Her little girl brightened. “This very second?”
She tickled Susie under the chin, straightened, and reached to lift the bundle of sheets. “Yes, and he’s also counting every second until he gets home and can give you a great big papa bear hug. The new year will see him back home with us. Now run and check your clothes hamper. I want to make sure all the washing and ironing is finished before the supper crowd comes in. Nita can only stay until five o’clock, and I’ll be without help after that.”
Her daughter skipped out of the room, returning a minute later with a miniature red dress. Fat dimples appeared in her cheeks. “The hamper is empty, but Miss Merribelle’s ball gown is wrinkled.”
Sandra smiled and smoothed the doll dress onto the ironing board, sniffing in the scent of lavender sachet. “We can’t have that.” She twisted the iron’s big heavy dial. “What do you want for supper, darling? Sloppy joes or more of the chicken and rice you had earlier?”
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed the piece inspired by the word year. If you haven’t done so already, check out the other excerpts at Tuesday Tales.
Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Spirited Stories
All rights reserved, copyright @ 2024 Flossie Benton Rogers
You’ve portrayed the child’s innocence beautifully. Great scene.
Thanks so much, Susanne!