The Plan

Flash Fiction

The Plan

I was listening to Sandy, playing with our dog. She’s four. I really needed some quiet while my migraine med was taking effect.

I sat in the kitchen chair, best I could do without going into the TV room. Sandy would want me to play. I had suffered with migraines long enough to know that playing with a four-year-old, with the TV on too, was not going to help my med take effect. Still, I had to watch her, hence hiding in the kitchen.

Suddenly I heard a noise. A fly on the window, trying to get out… Not loud, but annoying, everything is annoying with a migraine. I got up to help it out.

Of course, as soon as I got close, it panicked. I was about a thousand times bigger, and aiming right at it! I decided to just shut the curtain instead. Brain still working!

I pulled the end of the ribbon holding the curtain to the side, but the whole curtain, rod and all came crashing down, making a bang, as the rod hit the floor, and add me screeching a bit… in ran Sandy.

“Mommy! What happened?” she asked, looking scared.

“I just dropped something Honey,” I said, trying to lead her back to the TV, as my head pounded.

She looked at me funny. I’d never seen that look before. Add nervous to my dilemma.

“You need a nap!” she said. “Let’s go.” Just like I say to her when she needs a nap.

We did, she actually fell asleep too, and my migraine finished its disappearance.

Consequently, I was not the least bit surprised when, at age twelve, she told us she wanted to be a doctor. I think sometimes you’re born with your plan; you just have to finish growing into it.