Quinn’s 30% Off Coupon at Kohls A to Z Blogging Challenge

Blogging from A to Z Challenge
April 2015
This month I will be participating in the “Blogging from A-Z Challenge”

What is it?

I will be Blogging everyday beginning on April First with a topic themed on something with the letterA, then on April second another topic with the letter B as the theme, and so on until I finish on April thirtieth with the theme based on the letter Z.   The theme of the day is the letter scheduled for that day.

My theme will be short fictional (well mostly fictional) stories about women.  Each woman’s name will begin with the appropriate letter of the alphabet for that day.
All of the women will have the common life experience of a loss of some type.
I invite you, Dear reader, to comment on how you interpret the loss.

Quinn

She grabbed the coupon from the pile of the day’s mail and stashed it into her pocket.  She anxiously waited, pacing back and forth, while her husband got ready for work.  She hurried the children along.
“Come on guys,” she yelled.  “Your gonna be late!” she called up to their rooms.
She kissed her husband good-bye and waved to the kids as they boarded the bus.
She sighed, put the kettle on and looked forward to a few minutes of peace and quiet.
Quinn was a stay at home mom.
She went back to work for a brief time after her daughter, Lauren, was born.
When she would pick Lauren up from the day care center at the end of each day, the infant room teacher, Sue, would tell Quin all about Lauren’s day.  How she smiled.  What foods she preferred. How Sue would sing to Lauren and rock her to sleep for her morning nap.
 Quinn  soon decided she wanted to be the one experiencing every minute of her baby’s early years and Bill agreed.
She left her job six months after Lauren was born.
Two years later, they got pregnant with Luke.  That was 12 years ago.
It hadn’t been easy to manage with only one salary.  Bill’s parents helped with a down payment and they moved into their first home right after Luke was born.
Once the kids started school, Quinn considered finding a part time job, to help with the finances. But, by then she had established a routine of volunteering at the children’s school, driving Lauren and Luke to dance class or soccer, taking care of the bookkeeping for the consulting business that Bill did on the side, and caring for her ill mother.  Besides she liked being there when the kids got home from school.
Most nights she would wake at 2:00 a.m.  Her mind would not quiet.  She tossed and turned trying to get comfortable.   It was during those dark times that she wondered who Quinn was.   She would push those thoughts aside though, because she figured that there would be plenty of time, just for her, later on.
Bill worked long hours.  At least three times a week, he would miss having dinner with her, Lauren and Luke.  They tried to set aside a date night, “at least once a month,” they promised each other.  But, that rarely happened.   She figured there would be plenty of time, for just the two of them, later on.
Quinn had a pretty face, with almond shaped hazel eyes, an upturned nose and a dimple in one cheek.  She wore her brown hair long and straight.
She struggled with weight, though.   She had never lost the pregnancy pounds.  Every year since Luke was born, she gained another 5 pounds.  She tried the latest diets.  When success wasn’t immediate, she’d give up. She figured there would be plenty of time, to get back into shape,  later on.
She wasn’t exactly sure when the shopping thing had started.  Was it five years ago when the new mall was built and Kohl’s had their grand opening?
Or maybe it started  when she began to have those restless, and sleepless nights.  She would quietly get out of bed, turn on the TV in the family room and obsessively flip between the HSN or QVC stations.
She began to hide her purchases and monthly statements.  She knew she should get the spending under control.  She figured there would be plenty of time to do that, when the kids were off on their own, later on.
For now, though, she won the jackpot.  A 30% off coupon at Kohls.

Patrice A to Z Blogging Challenge

Blogging from A to Z Challenge
April 2015
This month I will be participating in the “Blogging from A-Z Challenge”

What is it?

I will be Blogging everyday beginning on April First with a topic themed on something with the letterA, then on April second another topic with the letter B as the theme, and so on until I finish on April thirtieth with the theme based on the letter Z.   The theme of the day is the letter scheduled for that day.

My theme will be short fictional (well mostly fictional) stories about women.  Each woman’s name will begin with the appropriate letter of the alphabet for that day.
All of the women will have the common life experience of a loss of some type.
I invite you, Dear reader, to comment on how you interpret the loss.

Patrice

She settled on a thin branch at the highest tip of the tallest budding tree.  She swayed precariously back and forth in the stiff breeze.
Elongating her neck,  she tilted her head back and opened her mouth. 
She called out to him, singing the long warble that he would surely recognize.
She waited for his answer, but it did not come. 
Her claws gripped the perch tightly as a sudden gust of wind violently shook the branch.   
Danger was imminent.  She sensed it.  Hovering above.  Then the whoosh of wings swooping down.  

Her heart beat fast.  She tried to fly away, but she couldn’t move.  
Patrice awakened sharply.   She sat up.  She was shaking.  A bad dream.  
She reached out to touch him, but he wasn’t in bed.  
Noticing a beam of light under the bathroom door,  she felt relieved.  
It had been a bad day.  Abbie was sick.  Poor girl.  She had a high fever and racking cough.  
Patrice was worried.  She called him at work to tell him. 
His secretary answered.  “Mr. Olivera’s office, can I hep you?” 
“Hello Mrs. Olivera,” she said.  “He’ll be right with you.”
When he finally picked up the phone, he said, “Did you call the doctor?”  He sounded annoyed.
They haven’t been getting along lately.  She was sure it was just a rough patch, though.  They could work it out. 
It was almost 10 o’clock before Abbie finally fell asleep. 
As Patrice waited for him to come back to bed, she thought she heard his voice.
It was well past midnight.  Who could he be talking to, she wondered. 

See yesterday’s O post for the companion piece to today’s P story. 

Mrs. Olivera A to Z Blogging Challenge

Blogging from A to Z Challenge
April 2015
This month I will be participating in the “Blogging from A-Z Challenge”

What is it?

I will be Blogging everyday beginning on April First with a topic themed on something with the letterA, then on April second another topic with the letter B as the theme, and so on until I finish on April thirtieth with the theme based on the letter Z.   The theme of the day is the letter scheduled for that day.

My theme will be short fictional (well mostly fictional) stories about women.  Each woman’s name will begin with the appropriate letter of the alphabet for that day.
All of the women will have the common life experience of a loss of some type.
I invite you, Dear reader, to comment on how you interpret the loss.

Mrs. Olivera

She doodled in her fanciest script.  Mr. & Mrs Olivera.  
She leafed through stacks of magazines, dog earring her favorite pages.  
She pictured the bridal announcement, 
 “Adorned in an organza ball gown, the bride was stunning.  The ruched strapless bodice was enhanced with tear drop pearls.  Her floor length veil grazed the carpet as she was escorted by her brother down the aisle.” 
She practiced saying, “Mrs Olivera.” 
She imagined how exciting it would be as they waited for the MC to make the announcement…”Now may I present for the first time in public, Mr. and Mrs Olivera.”
The day would be perfect.  Everything would be perfect. 
He was going to surprise her with honeymoon plans.  Some place exotic, she was sure.   
Bali.  One of those thatched cottages, right on the water.   
They had talked about touring Paris or Rome. 
Before this, before him, she didn’t believe in fate or destiny.   
But their meeting could not have been accidental or by chance.  
She wasn’t supposed to be there that day.    But, one of the other women came down with the flu.  Her supervisor called and asked her to come in as soon as possible. 
He came hobbling into the ER.  An ice hockey accident.  
They talked about it later, how their attraction for one another was instant, electric and mutual.
 She hadn’t been looking for love.   
After her last relationship, she swore that she was going to spend time getting to know herself.  
She was going to practice the advice she had given to many of her friends.   “Figure out what you need.”
She knew now.  He was what she wanted, what she needed.  
He said he felt the same way.   
He told her that he wasn’t looking for love either.  Not now.  The time wasn’t right.
“The moment I saw you, though,  I knew I was in trouble,” he would joke.  
Today was the second anniversary of that night, the night they met. 
He promised they would do something special.  
“It might not top our first anniversary,” his text said.  “But I want you know that I haven’t forgotten.”
She decided that they could have a romantic evening, just the two of them.  She’d make shrimp parmesan.  It was his favorite.  Chocolate covered strawberries.  And of course champagne.
She was so happy.
“Mrs. Olivera,” she whispered to herself.
Her phone rang well past midnight.  She had fallen asleep on the sofa.
“Hon, I’m so sorry.”   His voice was low.  She could barely hear him.
“I couldn’t get away,” he said.  “It’s Abbie.”  She’s sick.”
“I’ll make it up to you, he said.  “I promise.”
She blew out the candles, once again.
She was reminded of the other advice she constantly gave to her friends.
“Do yourself a favor,” she’d tell them.
"Dump him.  He’ll never leave her.”