“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.” ― Rainer Maria Rilke
Evan places his hand on Marnie’s pregnant belly. She releases a sigh and leans her head against the gnarled tree. The glow of springtime sun warms both their bones, and hearts. The baby kicks and rolls under Evan’s exploring hand. Marnie giggles with delight.
Their road to happiness was fraught with uncertainty; Miscarriages, hormone injections and IVF. Once they gave all that up, they somehow got their everyday miracle.
“Sweetheart, are you afraid he won’t make it into this world?”
“Honey, I do believe this time we are blessed.”
In that instant, Marnie feels the tightening of her first contraction.
100 words (Genre: romance)
Thank you Rochelle for bringing us Friday Fictioneers. It’s her 50th FF post, so give that woman some kudos, please. The photo is brought to you by none other than Scott from KindredSpirit23’s blog. When I first saw it, I wondered what the hell I was going to write, but a story came to me after all.
Please know I take criticism very well. Do your best or worst, as the case may be.
By the way, my first published and paid download (On a Hot Summer Night) through Etherbooks.com is on the bestsellers list. Thanks to all of you that purchased and read it. XOXOXOXXOXOXOXOXO
Good story and congratulation making it on the best seller list.
Thank you and thank you my dear. 😉
Such a lovely story! Also, happy birthday and congrats on the best-seller listing!
Thanks so much Jan.
What a sweet story. The good fortune smiling in the spring sun. And congratulations on the best selling. 🙂
Thanks Bjorn. It may not be my best, but I thought it was sweet.
Maybe she will deliver the baby under the tree?!
Scott
Maybe….
Aww, nice story.
maybe a little TOO sweet. 🙂
The word “that” is a modifier (as in I’ll take that blouse instead of the blue one), when you use it to link parts of a sentence it is grammatically incorrect (although more & more accepted now). “Sweetheart, are you afraid that he won’t make it into this world?” makes just as much sense & is more pleasing without the word “that” – “Sweetheart, are you afraid he won’t make it into this world?”
This was a lesson I learned at my cousin’s knee – he was a writer & this was one of his pet peeves & now mine. He called it lazy writing. Hope I didn’t offend you – you did say you welcomed criticism. I hope you find this helpful.
No offense taken at all. I welcome every bit of help I can get. As I’ve said, I’m not sure what the hell I’m doing here. I’ll fix it. Thank you. Lesson learned. 🙂
I love so much of your writing, I hope I have not put you off anything with what I hoped was useful grammatical advice.
This reminds me of the way people who are trying to have a child and then decide to adopt often have their own child not long after that. Hope the baby is healthy. Congratulations on your e-book and happy birthday.
janet
That’s how my sister came to be. My parents adopted me and then she was born nine months and one day later. Seems Mom was already pregnant when they got me. 🙂 I hear it happens a lot. Like the pressure is off and here comes baby.
Thanks for the compliments honey. I need to write me a sad story. It’s been awhile…. Maybe something angry.
I’m laughing at the sad story part. Have to see what the prompt is next week. Some lend themselves to sad/angry pictures better.
Enjoy the weekend.
janet
The tree and the sunshine did its magic, Renee! Very nice. I have a feeling this will work out for them this time.
Thank you for the kind comment my dear. I’ve a feeling you’re right. I believe everything did work out for them.
A great story, told well.
Thank you so much for the kind comment and for the follow. I’ll be sure to follow you.
Sounds encouraging to me.
Me too my sweet.
What does it say about me that I read this to mean she was going into premature delivery! Lovely story Renee! Congrats too.
Promise she wasn’t.
Lovely story – I felt their delight as the baby kicked and rolled. Sweet stuff 🙂
Thanks darling.
Heart warming.
Thank you.
Dear Renee,
A simply delightful story. I love the miracle of pregnancy and childbirth. Firsthand experience three time. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
PS I love your lilac and butterfly background. Nothing smells sweeter than a lilac.
Thanks dear. Lilacs are my favorite. I have a story on my blog about stealing lilacs from city property in the middle of the night. The bush is flourishing in my back yard. I can’t wait for it to bloom. There’s nothing like their scent wafting in the spring air.
Renee this was lovely. I especially liked ‘the baby kicks and rolls under Evan’s exploring hand. What beautiful memories that evokes. Congratulations on your writing success. 🙂
Thanks my dear on all of your comments. I do appreciate them.
A lovely, lyrical tale with a gentle, genuine tone. Well done on both counts – from a fellow Etherite!
Congrats to you fellow Etherite. thank you for the kind compliments.
Nice to see a happy association with the ancient tree. Congratulations on the success of your book!
It’s no book honey, merely a few short stories. The book will come. In a year.
hope it’s not a preme. Congrats on being a bestseller!
Thanks dear. And no, the baby was full or almost full term.
I know how fine it is to have some like my little 100 word effort. I must be a thrill to be selling.
Such a warm story, with a description of what the couple had been through to get pregnant. I like the comparison of the Earth to a child. And congrats on making the bestsellers list! Well done!
Glad you liked it. This time of the year, I always yearn for a baby. I’m too old for that though. Bring on the grand babies some day.
Thank you for the compliment on making the best seller list. Please download my free story, Sounds of Orioles and the Taste of Lemonade. It’s a free app called Etherbooks.com.
How wonderful that gnarly old tree inspired you to write a spring time story of birth.
I don’t know what it is, but this time of year always makes me long for having a baby. I’m far too old for my own, so I guess I’ll give birth to stories about them instead.
I think thats a wise course.
a great story and congrats on ur book 🙂
Thank you and thank you for the congratulations. It’s not a book. Merely a short story. But hey, it’s a beginning.
congrats on the news about your story ‘on a hot summer night’!
I’m proud of you!x