My short story Suspicious Move was published in 2008 by the ezine Getting Hitched. Go to their website to read the story in its entirity.
Getting Hitched Fiction – Suspicious Move
By Laura Rittenhouse
“We’re out of milk for the tea. I’ll just pop down to the shops and get some. Back in a tick.” That’s my husband absconding from the scene of an unpleasant task. Something he’d be famous for, if anyone besides me ever witnessed his prowess.
We’re moving next weekend, so today we’re starting to pack. Let me rephrase that; today I’m trying to get my husband to help me start packing. No mean feat. As soon as we woke up, Ralph had a craving for pancakes. He said they would fortify him against the day’s strenuous activities. So I whipped up a batch (using the last of the milk) and watched him slowly cut each piece and slide it gently across his plate to ensure maximum syrup absorption. When he sat back with a sated expression on his face, I whisked the plate out from in front of him and stuffed it into the dishwasher. I rubbed my hands together and said, “Do you think we should start with the office or maybe the linen closet?” That’s when Ralph decided he needed more tea to keep his energy levels up and sauntered into the kitchen to put the kettle on. By this time, I’d started to become suspicious that I hadn’t been fully successful at infusing the love of my live with my commitment to the theory that packing early avoids packing stress. More…
© Laura Rittenhouse 2008