relationship – Stutter-Stepping Seasons

Honesty vs Lie

April 17, 2024

https://weeklyprompts.com/2024/04/17/weekly-prompts-wednesday-challenge-honesty-2/

The prompt is HONESTY

I’ve lived long enough

Settled pref’rence–truth, or lie:

Honesty–no doubt

It can slice deep to marrow

With heart-stopping agony

Temporarily…

Lie is different animal

Stealthy, stalking, fanged

Venom malicious drips slow

Through veins…till heart sickens, dies

There’s no coming back

From named “misunderstanding”

Pretense that salts wound–

Relationship’s done, over

Trust crippled, cancerous doom

Honesty serves well

In words’ kindest eloquence

Sincere intention–

Insures the bruising is light

Offers best recovery

©V.Sparrow, 2024

Core Conceals Secrets (Six-Sentence-Story)

April 11, 2024

https://girlieontheedge1.wordpress.com/2024/04/10/its-thursdays-six-sentence-story-link-up-85/

“Six Sentence Stories” is always a great day, and Denise delivered an intriguing prompt word: CORE. Click the link above to meet her and get acquainted with how 6SS works–it’s FUN!

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At the core of most human relationships there’s likely to be a ~~curse~~ flaw, or blessing (or both)–which may complicate Life….particularly if secrets are hidden between one thing and another.

As to Finn and Bedelia (a star-tossed couple if ever there was one, in their senior years), their combined multi-faceted core–(often lustrous, sometimes a tangled ball of twine)–was something Finn had been unwittingly destined to manage.

In the depths of her being Bedelia was a mess…kindly, thoughtful, generous, a devout woman of faith–but no less a mess.

Finn, though perhaps he hadn’t recognized it as such, was at his core a hero; a problem-solver, perceptive man of sound discernment…a semi-retired family law attorney who had finessed more domestic complexities than he could count.

This made them an ideal match, one might think–except that all heck could break out with not a moment’s advance notice; and that’s exactly what happened the evening Finn called a professional to diagnose a potentially dangerous electrical wiring issue in Bedelia’s home.

The electrician, John (familiar to Bedelia & Finn), asked her how old the house was–a typical, and innocuous inquiry; but you’d have thought he was questioning her morals, as it triggered a hysterical stream of irrational verbal vomit: “it’s MY house, belongs to ME, you can’t tear the walls apart! it was a gift, completely paid for–for the rest of my life, you can’t destroy my house!” she howled, struggling as Finn tried to hold her and speak reassurance; he motioned for John to leave, and settled her on the couch while he looked for her meds…….her frantic display reminded Finn of a scene frighteningly played by Bette Davis in “Hush…Hush Sweet Charlotte”.

©V.Sparrow, 2024

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=hush+hush+sweet+charlotte+clips

Sliding Closer

March 28, 2024

https://girlieontheedge1.wordpress.com/2024/03/27/its-thursdays-six-sentence-story-link-up-83/

Time for another Sundays Six Sentence Story Word Prompt (& link-up)! If you’re new to this challenge, click the link above–meet lovely host, Denise, and she’ll help you with the rules & regs (there are very few)!

Her prompt word this week: SLIDE

Despite his brother James’ advice and efforts to encourage him, and though he wasn’t prone to bouts of depression, Finn felt himself sliding into a dim valley of barren futility.

At their age–he & Bedelia both sliding toward 70 (four years since James introduced them)–two years was surely sufficient time for a friendship-courtship to bud, bloom and bear fruit of certainty regarding love and marriage, i.e., a wedding.

They must lay cards on the table, clarify their status; he would speak with her in his naturally calm-reasoning, Atticus Finch/Greg Peck voice (which, blushing, she’d once complimented); if it was unwarranted fear hampering her progress–not lack of attraction to him–he’d nudge her gently toward James, for counseling; Oh…Sunday was Easter, he’d have to let the heart-to-heart slide.

He breathed a determined manful breath, set himself to some light housekeeping (“idle hands” and all that)–but the phone rang: Bedelia.

“I’ve made your favorite, Finn–lasagna, and brownies with toffee bits for dessert; I wanted to thank you properly for rescuing me from financial ruin, the overdraft fee–you’re always so good to me; you’ll come for dinner, yes?—and, don’t mention it to James…just us two, ‘kay?“

Heart sailing, buoyed on placid glistening Puget Sound, Finn was near-speechless; (he liked this suddenly unpredictable Bedelia)–“mum’s the word, Beedee…I’ll bring parmesan-garlic bread…see you soon”.

Not Her Style Anymore (3TC)

March 25, 2024

https://pensitivity101.wordpress.com/2024/03/23/three-things-challenge-m642/

The great thing about returning to blogging after a significant absence is finding your blog friends are still here, alive and writing…and offering challenges similar to a box of chocolates, irresistible–and you can only choose a few.

In my previous blogs I always enjoyed Di’s “3 Things Challenge”, so I’m taking a bite of this one. Very few rules: “family friendly”, use the 3 prompt words, and “Tag your responses with 3TC, #threethingschallenge or TTC”.

The 3 words: resign, design, consign.

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Hedda was caught in the crevice of a rock and a hard place, so to speak. She was between consigned and resigned to Frank’s design for their future. He didn’t understand that–it was beyond his comprehension why she made simple things so utterly annoyingly complicated.

If she consigned herself to marrying him, there was no doubt she’d lose herself in the shuffle. His way was the “best” way…no discussion.

But if she resigned herself to politely ditching this man who, along with being wealthy and influential, had made all her decisions for her during their five-year relationship…she’d have to start over, and she wasn’t sure she possessed skills and energy for that.

In the midst of a midnight ponder, the voice in her head summed up the crux of the matter: “you’d lose yourself if you wed Frank–whereas if you parted ways, you’d only lose Frank. Catch a clue, he’s been on your last nerve for what–two years?”

She glanced at her open closet and saw the dress he’d chosen for her. It had a designer label of course, probably cost as much as his last car… But nothing about it was “her”.

Not complicated, she concluded, and took the first fresh breath of independence. She’d send him a couriered note and block his calls.