Snap Shots

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Snap Shots - book excerpt

Story 1

The rings had a story of their own.A lifetime of stories—full of promise, expectations, family, good times and bad.And death.

She picked them up and studied each ring. They’d worn well over the years; no loose diamonds or breaks in the band.Forty years and it seems like yesterday we were driving to California in our old Volkswagen van for a honeymoon.

When he died, she didn’t think she’d make it. But here she was five years later. She sighed, kissed the rings and placed them back in the jewelry box.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror, remembering his last words.I’m the one dying, not you. Promise me you’ll keep on living and find happiness again.

Her eyes slid to her hand and the new ring that covered the indentation the old ones had burrowed into her skin over the years.

She smiled. 

Story 2

I Did It!

Amanda stared at the rock that came up to her chest. What fun it would be to stand on that rock and see the world below. She turned to her grandfather and pointed to the big structure. She raised her arms to him. “Papa? Upsies?”

Papa smiled, shaking his head no. “Climb up. You can do it.”

With a knitted brow, Amanda turned back to the rock. She put her hands on it, her mouth turning to a pout. “I can’t.”

Papa pointed to her and used his fingers to walk around the other side.

Amanda stared at him, perplexed. She walked to the other side and noticed the rock was slightly lower. Leaning her stomach on the top, she pulled one knee up, pushing and panting until she lay on the rock.

Amanda stood, threw her arms up and yelled to Papa, “I did it.”

Story 3

Lady

She sat in a field behind my parents’ house. She’d seen better days but I loved that car. My Dad’s pride and joy, he’d bought her as a fixer-upper. She was all that, with no back seat. In those days, cars didn’t have seat belts, so for the first couple of weeks, we three sisters sat on little stools, so low to the floor we couldn’t see out the windows. When Dad went around a corner, we were too short to reach the “oh shit handles”, and we’d slide off the stools onto the floor in a tangled mass of giggles. Dad would glance over his shoulder and shout, “You girls stop that fooling around”, like we’d planned the whole thing.

We named her Lady, from the movie Lady and the Tramp. She may have lost her looks but not her style or her memories.

She was still Lady. 

Story 4

Bunny

Ourtwo-year-oldChrissy found the rabbit hidden under her bed that Easter Sunday morning. She’d held it up and giggled excitedly. “Bunny, Mommy.”

Has a year really passed since last Easter?

I held the rabbit tight, flooded with memories rendering my heart heavy. We’d lost Chrissy two days later to a drunk driver who hit our car. Someone found the rabbit on the road and gave it to the police. I buried my face in Bunny’s fur and cried.

Bunny went into the box with Chrissy’s things for my husband to store in the attic.

My eyes scanned the redecorated room and the bassinet in the corner. My hands moved to my blossoming abdomen. This baby could never replace Chrissy, but a new life could help us cope with the loss of another.

I smiled. One day, I’ll give her Bunny and tell her of the sister she never knew.