Calico Connections – written to the prompt flimsy

This week I’m writing for Tuesday Tales, a small group of authors that write each week to a word prompt or a picture prompt. My current project is Calico Connections, set in 1934 Athelstan, Iowa, where a group of women and girls created some real-life stitchery squares that remain all these years later.

This week we’re writing to the prompt ‘flimsy.’

Enjoy the snippet here, then go check out the other delightful tales you’ll find at Tuesday Tales.

“Thirty-six?” Frank asked. “And here you don’t look a day older than the day I married you.”

With that, Sarah pulled the dish towel from where it was tucked in her apron pocket and snapped it in his direction.

“Good Lord gonna send you to that fiery place with lies like that coming out of your mouth!”

Frank merely grinned and didn’t answer back. Seeing the light in her eyes and the pleased smile on her face, he knew she wasn’t upset about his fudging the truth a little with his statement.

Sarah started to lean back in her chair, but as the chair wobbled under her shifting weight, he remembered how flimsy this one was, and she sat up straight again. “You know, with this horrid heat, I’m not going to bake Edward’s cake tonight. Not gonna fire the stove up for supper either. I rescued a few wretched tomatoes this morning. Plants have stopped producing with this heat, but a few stragglers were hidden under the lowest branches. Figured we could have ‘mater sandwiches for supper.”

“Sounds good enough for me,” Frank said.

With that, he swiveled his head to the doorway, looking in the other room to check on the children. Seeing them all involved with their own play, he turned back towards Sarah and whispered, “I need to run out to the shed and sand the toy car for Edward. I’ll bring it in after the kids are in bed so you can wrap it up for tomorrow.”

Sarah whispered back, “That will work. I’ve been saving a feed sack to wrap it up in. He’ll be so happy when he sees it.”

“Good thing he likes running cars around the floor. Makes it an easy present to make for him.”

Laughter bubbled up in Sarah, but she thrust a hand over her mouth to stop herself before the children heard and got curious about what their parents were whispering and laughing about in the kitchen. “Yeah…running cars all over the floor…and his sisters!”

A frown flitted across Franks face. “Onery boy. He does like to pester his sisters to no end.”

Sarah tipped her head back and squinted her eyes, as if examining her husband for flaws. “And…” she queried. “You never pestered your own sisters like that?”

Frank’s cheeks flushed and he hung his head. “Well, hon…that’s different.”

Check out the other delightful tales you’ll find at Tuesday Tales.

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