Talking Fish
Our first date was by chance. He was poring over books about sharks. When my co-worker asked me to cover her Saturday shift, I offered some weak excuse why I couldn't. She pouted. Feeling guilty, I caved.
I was shelving books when I saw him. I asked if I could help. He said his six year-old wanted to be a Marine biologist. He said it was another fleeting dream but his boy was his world. I paused. Before you speak, Claire, think.
“I'm sure your wife feels the same.”
“I'm not married.”
We spent the afternoon talking fish.
 |
| WORD: Speak. Join us. |
Word: weak
Join us.
Join us.
Lovely romantic entry and combo! I like how you have used the typo to stress how hard she is thinking and how important it is for her not to make a fool of herself and miss the opportunity.
ReplyDeleteI meant the italics only but maybe...:-)
ReplyDeleteLove it! Made me smile!
ReplyDeleteSweet story and complete in 100 words.
ReplyDeleteThe real challenge is always the word count. The vocabulary can be worked if given some time to simmer. I need a little bit of sweet and light in my life at the moment so I wrote it. Thank you.
DeleteLiked this a lot. One minor quibble: the word you want is 'poring', not 'pouring'.
ReplyDeleteLovely story of reluctant romance. Well done!
ReplyDeleteSweet. Takes me back to my single parent days. I waited forever (I think three meetings) before Lex asked why my husband didn't come to church and I could tell him I was divorced.
ReplyDeleteThat last line was the whole poem with an exclamation point. Loved it. Amy
Brilliant use of the word limit.
ReplyDeleteI met my guy when I wasn't looking so the inspiration was easy. The challenge was word count. Glad you think I made it work.
ReplyDeleteha. stop and think...pretty cool the little details that bring us together eh? cool that the son was a big part of that too...made me smile...
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part of this is the picture that goes with it; it adds a delicious edge to the whole thing. One of my favorite forms of poetry is this kind, that tells of an every day moment from the inside, and makes it more than ordinary. "Before you speak, Claire, think" made the poem, to me.
ReplyDeleteI'm so impressed that you're able to craft a story around not one but THREE prompts--and all in 100 words! Boggling aside, I agree with Fireblossom that the "Before you speak, Claire, think" line is really effective--it makes the *reader* stop and think. It's that pause, that subtle break, which, paired with the previous paragraph where Claire is easily guilted, that get at the heart of character, at the complexity of character, and make us care. (And, yes, I do realize that there are entirely too many commas and clauses in that sentence. Oops.)
ReplyDeleteAnd also? Yay for romance! :)
I'm a sucker for romance. And the challenge to write in 100 words was enticing.
DeleteWhat a perfect beginning to a love story! You can almost see them at the altar.
ReplyDeleteSo charming and wonderfully captured. I really liked this! =)
ReplyDeleteKiller story! Love it...
ReplyDeleteThat's a whole lot of story in very few words. Nicely done.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very sweet encounter. Of course we don't know where it leads from here, but I like to think it is the beginning of a beautiful relationship :)
ReplyDeleteVery well done!
ReplyDeleteShort and sweet. I like it!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you all like it. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteLa Tonya, this is wonderfully sweet and light-but I love the deeper implications too, as Claire's thoughts to herself point out. It's just hard to know sometimes. Nice work, my friend:)
ReplyDeleteVery well done - it is SO hard to tell a whole story in 100 words - but you have done so - and brilliantly.
ReplyDeleteArg! I so need to learn to think before I speak!
ReplyDeleteGreat little story, LaTonya, and I love the last line. (Also love that this was their first date.)
Several are doing multiple prompts. Always leaves me in awe. Very nice story. Also like the new look at the top of your blog.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what she would have said had she blurted out what she was thinking. Really nice story!
ReplyDeleteFish are awesome conversation points.
ReplyDeleteThat was a clever way to get an answer to an unasked question.
Short and sweet and it made me smile :)
ReplyDeleteYou have to love those serendipitous moments.
ReplyDeleteNaturally!
ReplyDeleteShort, simple, and sweet. :)
Very nice little beginning to a love story. That's the kind of thing I wish could happen to me now!
ReplyDelete