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Saturday, February 19, 2022

Saturday Sample and Weekend Writing Warriors

 Today I'm continuing with my current WIP. There's nothing much to tell you about the book yet because you've already heard most of what I have written so far. On Sunday when you finish here, you can go to www.wewriwa.blogspot to find more excerpts from a talented group of authors.


Last Week:


She pushed herself to get up and shambled back into the bedroom where she collapsed on the sofa in the window.  What would happen now that she knew the truth? Everything she’d based her life on, everything she’d believed in, trusted in was gone, blown away by a few quiet words.Everyone always said she and Rhett had a fairy tale marriage, and she too had believed it. Unfortunately for her, it wasn’t true. Her marriage was just like everyone else’s. A grimace twisted her lips.  Rhett was no more true and faithful than any other husband. To think she had even felt sorry for some of her friends whose husbands had cheated!

Yes, the fairy tale had been revealed to be an illusion, so what kind of marriage did she truly have? Good? Bad? Lukewarm? Every instinct screamed it was bad, but that probably wasn’t true. Compared to other marriages it was pretty good, but was pretty good enough after living in a fairy tale? 


In this week's excerpt Alex meets Eric, Rhett's son.


Everyone was waiting in the living room for Rhett and the boy to arrive. The tick tock of the old grandfather clock underscored the silence in the room and sounded abnormally loud to Alex, but that was only because nobody had anything to say. All of them were waiting for their world to change irrevocably. 

She hadn’t intended to join the family at all, but Hank and Daniel had looked so surprised when they found out that she had agreed to wait with them. Maybe she should. The boys were eager to meet Eric, but they had no idea what changes he would bring with him. How would they feel about sharing their father with another boy? She drew a deep breath when she heard Rhett’s car in the yard. She’d know soon enough.

Her heart almost beat its way out of her chest when the front door opened. A small, masculine voice asked, “Is this where you live?”

“It’s where you live too,” Rhett answered.

The door closed and Rhett saw them all gathered in the living room. His eyes went to her as they always did when he returned after a trip, but this time she refused to get up and kiss him. She couldn’t even look at him. Focusing on a wall behind Rhett and the child, she waited on the others to make introductions.

Rhett took Eric’s hand and walked him into the living room. “Eric, this is your grandfather, Judge Harry Landers, and the pretty lady beside him is your grandmother Ellen.”

The judge ruffled Eric’s hair and Ellen enveloped him in a hug. “We’re so glad to meet you, Eric,” she said with a smile. “You’ll like the Isle of Palms.”

Rhett moved Eric on. “This is Hank and Daniel, your brothers.” He used his hand to indicate who was who.

“You’re in the room next to me,” Daniel said. “I’m eight. How old are you?”

“Seven.”

“Do you like to play Minecraft?”

“Yeah, I do it all the time.”

“I’ll show you the stuff I made.”

Eric nodded. “Okay.”

Rhett and Eric had reached her now. “Eric, this is your stepmother, Alex.”

A flare of panic contorted the child’s face. Had Rhett said something bad about her to the boy? She cleared her throat. “Hello, Eric. Welcome home. It’s so nice to meet you.”

Eric mumbled something, but she didn’t catch it. 




7 comments:

  1. Ah, I hope he didn't say anything about her. Though the word 'stepmother' does have some negative connotations from movies and television shows that young kids are exposed to.

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  2. Intriguing glimpse into the family dynamics.

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  3. AWKward but so far everyone seems to be handling things in a civilized manner. Great snippet!

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  4. That had to be overwhelming for Eric. All those people! The word "stepmother" has such a negative connotation (from fairy tales). Perhaps, he could have used a different description of her. Or, maybe that's your point??? Anyway, I like the way the boys interacted.

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  5. Yes, but have been unnerving hearing 'stepmother'. All the Disney connotations of the word. He probably pictured himself scrubbing floors or locked in an attic.

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  6. That must have been hard on all concerned, but especially on Eric and Alex. I'm glad the two sons seem very accepting--as kids that age can be. I hope that relationship between siblings can help the rest begin to heal. Great snippet! Tweeted.

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  7. Oh, that's not good! This is an incredible scene. I felt like I was there with her, watching it all unfold while I held my breath. Great writing, Elaine!

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