Sunday, November 22, 2015

Writing Prompt: The Free Write: Family Troubles

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

This week’s prompt is a free write, so take the seed below and run with it. It doesn’t have to turn into anything, just let the words flow and see where they go.

Write something inspired by:

Trouble during a family holiday visit


Write as much or as little as you’d like.

4 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. The Ski patrol men carried him over to the couch as hot tears slid down my cheeks. How had Grandpa gotten stuck in the blizzard?

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  3. Not sure if this is going to be a thing, but I enjoyed writing about this family. And I have to confess, I have a thing for family dramas, and stories that revolve around siblings or parents/children relationships. I think there are an endless source of all kind of emotional journey.
    Anyway! What do you guys think? Would you read on?

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    Replies
    1. - "This is a mistake. This is a mistake."
      Trixie paced the living room back and forth, in small, nervous jumps.
      - "This is a mistake. This is a mistake."
      She had roamed from the kitchen door to the christmas tree a thousand times before Quinn softly grabbed her by the hand and pulled her close to him.
      - "Hey. It’s all gonna be alright, ok?"
      He smiled gently and put one of her short blond streaks behind her ear. Her fiancĂ© always had this solid calmness. Three years into their relationship, and Trixie still didn’t know how he managed to infuse peacefulness into her system anytime she was about to break. His greyish blue eyes held her gaze, and she could feel her muscles relax a little bit. They was still this tension in her legs, but at least she did not have the urge to run around their apartment like a lion in its cage anymore.
      - "Besides, I cooked my famous mutton stew. Your parents will have no choice but love me. This plan is infallible."
      He made funny pout that made her giggle.
      A few knocks. Trixie’s heart jumped to her stomach, but Quinn opened the door to his own smiling and warm family. Both of his parents, and Teagan, his twin sister. Only their older sibling Shauna was missing, because her youngest one had an ear infection. This is what a family was supposed to look like. Simple, authentic, no resentment whatsoever.
      - "Merry christmas!" chanted the guests as they entered the apartment with arms full of boxes wrapped in glistening paper.
      The Dohertys exchanged hugs and kisses on the cheeks even though they have seen each others only a few hours ago, when Quinn took them from the airport to the hotel. How sweet of them to fly from Northern Ireland to visit their son for the holidays, when it was already hard for Trixie to get her own parents to drive from the other side of London.
      - "Here you are, sweetheart!"
      Even if she wanted to, Trixie couldn’t have fought Brigid’s tight hug. Her thick chest against hers was warm and comforting.
      Brigid took a step backwards, holding Trixie’s hand and looked at her from head to feet in awe.
      - "Look at you, you’ve grown gorgeous!"
      Trixie creased her nose. She was just wearing a terribly simple and large woolen, pale blue dress. And that was even one of the most extravagant clothes she owned.
      - "Mom, it’s been only three months since we left home," Quinn said rolling his eyes. "Not three years.
      - Just let mom compliment your girl, idiot," Teagan interrupted, slapping lightly her brother in the arm. "Hey, Trix’, I love your place! It’s really cute how you decorated it."
      Trixie smiled faintly. She really meant to give them a genuine grin, but she couldn’t let go of her nervousness just yet. Quinn must have figured out how she felt -he always did- and suggested they should sit down and get something to drink. It didn't come as a surprise, though, that Richmond, the plump and jolly father of the family, was already sitting by the coffee table, stuffing canapĂ©s in his mouth.
      - "I’m on it," Trixie declared with a nod, before she flew to the kitchen.
      
This is a terrible idea. No. It’s going to be alright. She tried her best to make Quinn’s voice chase hers in her head. Their respective families were going to meet, and this would not be a disaster. It was impossible not to love the Dohertys, even for someone like her mother. Now the real question was: were her parents going to scare her future family in law away?
      It took Trixie a few minutes to calm down the jerks in her leg, and to come back to the living room with everyone’s favorite drink on a multicoloured dotted tray. Some brown ale for Teagan, a martini for Brigid, gin and tonic for Redmond, and some non-alcoholic beer for Quinn and herself. After only a few months living at the Dohertys, she already knew this family better than her own.

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