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Sue Spitulnik

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Emma’s Jester Imitation

Adam watched his daughter flap the skirt of her sundress while she ran from the kitchen into the family room, around the footstool, and then down the hallway toward the bedrooms. Shortly she ran back, the best a two-year-old can run. Fearful she might get hurt, Adam said, “Emma. Walk!”

Emma stopped and looked at him, still holding her skirt. “I’m being Jester.” She giggled.

Adam looked confused. “Being Jester?”

Tessa appeared in the kitchen doorway. “She’s flapping her skirt to imitate Jester’s ears flopping when he sticks his head out the van window.”

“I see. Be careful, Sweetie.”

Note: Jester belongs to Emma’s grandfather Michael.

6

Mom Has the Answer

“Mom, Adam seems remote lately. What should I do?”

Tessa looked at her daughter. “You and Emma are often here when he gets home. Are you sure it isn’t Adam feeling you are being remote, so he’s reacting?”

“Emma gets crabby if I wake her up when she falls asleep here.”

“Maybe you should leave sooner so she naps at home. You could have quality time before she wakes up.”

“I don’t remember you and Dad doing that.”

“We didn’t. But you see me doing it for Michael. Learn from my mistakes.”

“Got it. I won’t be over tomorrow.”    

Charli Mills prompt at Carrot Ranch Literary; Remote

9

Donna is Found – Part 1

Tessa’s father had come alone to give her a taped plain cardboard box. “I found this in the attic and your name is on the tape, so I brought it over.”

Tessa opened the box to find her much-loved Thumbelina doll snuggled in shredded paper. “Oh my. I thought Mom threw her out because I wanted to take her to college with me. I used to pretend she was Michael’s and my baby.” Tear’s formed as she hugged the doll. “Wait till Michael sees that we’ve been reunited with Donna.”

“Donna?”

“Yes, after the wonderful Dad we both love.”

 Donna is Found – Part 2

That evening Tessa and Michael sat on the couch with Donna between them. They reminisced about the dreams they had as teenagers and wondered how different their lives would be had they married then. Without thinking about their granddaughter, they left Donna sitting alone when they went to bed.

When Lexi dropped Emma off in the morning for “Gramma Day,” Emma toddled straight to Donna. She pointed to her, “Baby!” Then she picked her up, hugged her, and said, “Mine!”

Tessa and Michael watched with their mouths open. Tessa touched Michael’s arm. “Well, she was home for a day.”

Carrot Ranch Literary weekly prompt – icon for a day

8

Taking on the Best

Tessa sat in the warm sunshine on their deck, hand sewing the binding on her latest quilt. She reminisced about the good times in her teens when she and her mother enjoyed scratch cooking and sewing together. Then she wondered why her mother was so often critical of her these days. Her thoughts wandered to the time she spent with Michael’s mother and how she was much more patient, positive, generous, and willing to help whenever needed. The light bulb came on. Tessa felt she had adopted the best attributes of both women, and her mother might be jealous.  

Written in response to Charli Mills May 9, 2022, prompt at Carrot Ranch Literary: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a mom selfie — a story that creates an image of a mom. No one mom looks alike or fits a maternal mold. Who is she? Go where the prompt leads!

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