After many years apart, he calls to say, “I wish I had made love to you more.” For days my heart flutters, my skin tingles.
Next conversation: he reveals he might have cancer.
I say, “Don’t assume anything. Wait and see what your tests show.”
And he says, “Right. Be prudent.” Then he switches, “You’re so beautiful. I miss holding you.” My heart swells.
Conversation after that: he has cancer. Stage three. We make plans for him to stay with me so I can help with his after-surgery care. Separate bedrooms.
Now I must shift to loving him in new ways.
Beautiful, bittersweet story.
Thank you!
Well done.
Thank you!
A lot in a few words. Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.
Strikes a chord. My daughter in NZ has cancer – stage three.
I agree that life happens when you’re making other plans. I’m so sorry to read that your daughter is facing cancer. May she swiftly heal. I hold the image of reading your fiction story based on her full recovery.
I Love your title especially! The different calls and stages Love makes on us, just like the different stages of health, living and dying. I really appreciate the way you describe the sharp contrasts; the parallel paradoxes of these stages and emotions.
Thankyou for such great use of words and power in succinctness.
Thank you, Debbie, for your thoughtful feedback. I thank Liz Betz, my editor, for helping me with this title. She was a very insightful and helpful in the editorial process for this story.
Thank you Cassandra. Yours is one of the stories that I will always remember from my stint as volunteer editor at 101 Words.
Thank you, Liz!!! From the bottom of my heart. <3
Love the way you move through time in a few words. Thanks.
Thank you, Paula! I find it amazing and beautiful how the heart can be challenged in just a few words.
Good job. Tender.
Thank you, Roy!
This will stick with me. Thanks.
Thank you. Your comment made my heart swell.
Beautiful and succinct. An entire novel wrapped in a few words.
Thank you. Writing this, I felt I was sharing a big story. I like how you described my tale.
Nice to see this! Very moving and shows so much in a few words. The love is there!
Thank you, Morgan. Glad you enjoyed reading this.
So many emotions and a life story in so few words. Simple and beautiful
Thank you!
gorgeous brevity–so much emotion and many experiences packed into single words!