2 books
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1. The Caleb Chroncles
Lydia was driving her nine-year-old fraternal twins Caleb and Cassie Thomas to soccer practice. She was supposed to open the flower shop at nine this morning, but Jenna needed to report to Harper Hospital “at a run” the page said, so Jenna was up with the sun to appease the surgical gods when Jenna had a perfectly solid career in emergency medicine, maybe this was a midlife crisis? Lydia hoped that this transition would be seamless for Jenna and that Michaela Anders was an incredible teacher because her wife deserves the best life had to offer. Last night, however, Jenna missed a marriage counseling session because something “came up” as they always did being married to someone with such a fast-paced career. Jenna had arrived home much too late to tuck the twins in arriving in Michaela’s Buick with the tinted windows leaving Lydia’s imagination to run wild. Last night, Jenna smelled of cheap Chanel and a mix of Wild Turkey or Jose Cuervo… Lydia didn’t know which, she didn’t drink. Every time Lydia hathought like this she was supposed to write it down to validate the feeling express it and throw the paper away, so it didn’t have any more power over her emotions anymore. Goddammit, why didn’t she have a pen? Lydia began thinking of this at the stoplight, her teeth clenched, white-knuckled as the light turns green, she takes a breath and lets it all fall away. “Ok, my noodles”. Lydia said, “Go forth into this world and be great.'' “We love you Mom,” The twins said in unison “I love you too”. Lydia said. “We miss Mommy”. They said in unison again. “I know my darlings”. “She’s busy at the hospital”. “I’ll see if she can pick you up at six-thirty when the practice is over “Now, scoot you’re going to be late”. Lydia watches as her children squabble over who will get out of the car first, nods to the coach and while she was driving the s the two-point-five miles it takes to get to the shop she remembers the simplicity of life when all one had to worry about was if your mom was going to make it to your soccer game. Lydia finally arrives at the shop and discovers a line outside of her flower shop door. She closes her eyes takes a breath in, and as she opens the shop doors, she lets it out. and opens the door “Welcome to Caleb’s Flowers & Gifts, how may I help you?”. There’s an adolescent-looking man in a leather jacket, he appears to be looking around at different arrangements “Jacob are you my eight-forty-five? She asks meeting his gaze. He looks up from the arrangement book and answers “Yes, ma’am I am, but I think you ought to attend to the needs of the young lady behind me”. Jacob nobly suggested. Lydia looks past Jacob to a young woman in her late twenties. She appears frail and like she hasn’t had a night’s rest in quite some time. “Perhaps you’re right. Jacob. '' Lydia said “l have Delilah’s graduation bouquet over there by checkout two. She points with a tilt of the head to the bouquet of daisies and the baby’s breath. “She’s going to love these”. Jacob said excitedly “Should I tell Dr. Thomas to meet you here for lunch or will you make the trip to the hospital today? Jacob was an intern at her wife’s hospital. She doesn’t look up and replied “Jacob, tell Dr. Thomas I am swamped, and we’ll play it by ear ` `.Lydia said with a small hint of exhaustion “She isn’t going to like that” Jacob pushes, “but there’s a tuna salad on rye in your fridge if your blood sugar should drop”. Jacob heads out the door. “Jacob, can you hold on for a minute?”. “I think we’re going to need an emergent transport before your shift starts today”. Lydia nods knowingly to her friend, and he reciprocates the nod.
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2. Dancing atop the Cellarium Ceiling
It’s said that nothing good happens after two in the morning Noah Riley stretched his ninety-six Corvette around an empty street corner. “Wouldn’t it be a stitch if you inherited the practice someday?”. He remembers his Grandfather William Riley saying earlier that year with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. He doesn’t recall finding it as humorous as his Grandfather might have intended it. He didn’t believe textbook methods cured anyone. “Yeah, a real stitch Grandpa “.