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 - a challenge - 52 short stories in 52 weeks...something must be worth reading, right? |
“Daddy! Look what I did in school today!” “That’s great, Sweetie.” An absent smile. A distracted pat on the head. His long strides widen the distance as he barks orders into the device glued to his hand. “…find the time, Spencer,” he snaps. Bang! The office door slams, and Ellie jumps. Her lips curve downward. She should be used to this. But still… She had worked so hard on this project. That night, Ellie peers through the balustrades, watching her parents’ familiar ‘banter’ from the shadows. “…don’t get why you can’t attend just this once, James…” “…PTA meeting? You know I don’t have time for this, Carla…” “…right…your contract comes first…” “…what puts food on the table…!” She bolts to her room, tears burning behind her lashes. She really should be used to this. __ The next morning, James nearly loses his footing on a sheet of paper outside his office. “What in the…?” Ready to complain about the mess, he stops short. It’s a painting—Crayola on cardboard—signed: Ellie Jackson, Age 6. It would never hang in the Louvre, but something stirs in his chest. Suddenly he’s eight again, watching his own father walk out for the last time while his mother sobbed on the patio. I am him. All over again. Decision made, he switches off his phone and carefully pins the masterpiece to the fridge—among the many others he’s never really seen. My baby girl… “Daddy?” He spins at the sound of her voice. Concern flickers in her eyes, but then comes her smile—oh, that smile—when he stoops down and truly sees her for the first time in so long. “If you’ve got a little time, Sweetie,” he asks softly, “how about ice cream with Daddy, eh?” Her smile makes the decision worthwhile. --------------- Word Count: 300 Prompt: Write a story that includes the line: “I don’t have time for this.” Written For: "Daily Flash Fiction Challenge"  |
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