M.B. Forester-Smythe's Blog, page 49
July 6, 2011
July 5, 2011
Madison: P20 – *Author's Note*
Hi all!
Just Madison tonight. I'm brain dead on the direction to go with Lillian.
Author's note: This post contains mature material and should not be read by anyone under the age of eighteen.
Happy reading!
July 4, 2011
July 1, 2011
Happy July!
Six months of this year are already gone. I don't know about you, but time is flying by! Didn't we just celebrate Easter???
Well, the name of this blog has changed from "A Writer's Work" to "Mirriam Smyth," and the address has changed as well. Make sure to update your subscriptions and feeds.
Madison and Lillian will be posted later today.
Enjoy the long holiday ahead and, like always, happy reading!
June 30, 2011
June 29, 2011
June 28, 2011
June 27, 2011
June 24, 2011
Madison
Hi all!
Posts for Madison have been updated and some have been removed. The story has changed, so please pick up at the link below.
Happy reading!
Lillian: Post 23
Jace paled at the sound of his mom's voice, but forced a calm smile when he turned to face her. The curiosity in her eyes told him there was a chance she hadn't heard too much of what he'd just said. But he knew better than to assume with her. "Just someone who's become very special to me, Mom."
She clasped her hands together and squealed. "You've met someone! How wonderful! Walter!"
"No, Mom, really it's-"
"What is it?" his dad grumbled.
"Jace met someone!" Olivia exclaimed excitedly. "Isn't that great?"
Walter eyed him and Jace suppressed the urge to sigh. After long moments of silence, his dad nodded approvingly. "It's about time. I'm happy for you, son. It's time for you settle down anyway. No point waiting around anymore."
Jace managed a tight smile. "Sure, Dad."
"Bring her around while we're here."
It was an order, not a suggestion. Jace nodded. "I'll do my best but she's pretty busy."
"Humph," Walter muttered. "I want to meet her before we leave, Jace Zanders. We'll have dinner Saturday night here with her."
"All I can promise is I'll try."
"How exciting!" Olivia grinned. "I can't wait to meet her! We'll talk more over dinner tonight. I'm so happy for you!"
He didn't know what to say and he closed his eyes when his mom hugged him tightly. She let him go and hurried away, her excited laughter fading as she disappeared from view. He opened his eyes to see his dad leaving as well, and he swallowed hard.
Nick met his gaze, sadness and sympathy in his eyes. Jace tried to smile reassuringly but knew he failed. The chance to talk to his parents about Lillian would be in a few hours yet Jace knew he wouldn't be able to prepare them for the news he had to share. If anything Lillian had said was true, his parents would be more than disappointed tonight.
They were going to be livid.
Chapter 11
"I can't believe you agreed to bring her to dinner on Saturday," Nick hissed.
Jace winced at the biting anger in his brother's voice.
"What were you thinking?"
"I wasn't!" Jace muttered. "I said I would try. It's not a guarantee."
Nick snorted. "Have you forgotten that 'try' doesn't exist in Dad's vocabulary? He's expecting her there so you better deliver. If you don't, you'll never hear the end of it."
Ashley jabbed Nick with her elbow. "Ease up, babe. He's got enough to worry about."
Jace smiled gratefully, but Nick's concern was valid. Make sure Lillian was there or deal with his parents' irritation. Unfortunately, Lillian probably wouldn't want to come and he wouldn't blame her if she didn't. "I just want to make it through this in one piece, that's all."
"Good luck with that," he thought he heard Nick mumble. He turned to ask him what he'd said but the door to the restaurant opened and his parents swept in.
The host showed them to their table and Jace silently prayed for the night to go as quickly as possible. He had it all figured out – dinner and conversation, keeping his answers short and as general as possible, dessert, and then go home. That was his plan. Now he was just hoping he could stick to it.
Drinks and appetizers were served, and they talked and laughed about whatever had happened since they'd last seen each other. But Jace's mind was far from the conversations rounding the table. His thoughts were playing and re-playing every angle of how the night would go. The ending of each different scenario wasn't pleasant, and he grew more and more despondent the more he thought about the inevitable conversation to come.
Their dinner came and Jace half-listened as Nick and Ashley discussed their summer plans. When he'd finished eating, he asked Ashley if he could hold their son. She enthusiastically unstrapped him and Jace cradled him tenderly in his arms.
"He'll be three months next Tuesday," Ashley said, pride and love in her voice.
"He's so small." Jace traced the baby's skin, marveling at the silky texture and unblemished surface. "What's his name again?"
"Jace Andrew."
Jace looked up sharply.
Ashley smiled. "Nick wanted to name him after you and I wanted him to have my dad's name. So he's Jace Andrew."
"Actually, I wanted to name him Jason but Ashley liked Jace better," Nick added.
Jace looked at his nephew and swallowed past the lump in his throat. "Wow! I don't know what to say!"
Nick just smiled. "Say thanks. He looked like you when he was first born. I had to name him after you or something similar to your name."
Ashley kissed Nick's cheek and said affectionately, "When he finally held his son, the first thing he said was, 'He looks like Jace, babe. Can we name him Jason?' How do I say no to that?"
Jace didn't answer, just stared at the miracle he held in his arms. He remembered when Nick and Ashley had announced they were expecting. He'd been elated at first and sad later. They'd sent pictures of her growing belly, copies of the ultrasounds that were done. Jace had been able to watch their baby grow through a camera lens, had seen him via webcam when Nick and Ashley had called when they'd gone home from the hospital.
But none of that compared to actually holding this tiny life form in his hands. Jace watched his nephew's little face scrunch as he yawned then fell asleep again. He was so small but he would grow into a little boy and then a teenager and then a man.
Jace swallowed as longing gripped his heart. He wanted to looked into the face of his own child and be overwhelmed with love like only a father could have. He wanted the chance to watch his child grow. He wanted this.
He pressed trembling lips to Jace's tiny forehead, breathing in that new baby smell he'd heard so much about. His eyes glassed over with unshed tears. "I love you," he whispered against his nephew's cheek. "I love you, Jace."
The hold on his heart tightened and he shook his head against the agonizing pain ripping through him. He handed the baby back to Ashley, who smiled sympathetically at him. It was a struggle to hold back his tears but he managed. Still, the silence hanging over the table was tense with emotions that he didn't want to indulge in just then. He cleared his throat and met the curious looks from his parents.
Olivia smiled. "Tell us about your lady friend."
Unwanted reality crashed over him like a cold ocean wave. It smothered the tender emotions he felt and replaced them with dread. There was no avoiding this conversation; it was on the "agenda" for the night.
And he wasn't prepared to talk about her at all.
"Well, um, what do you want to know?" he asked hesitantly.
"Oh, everything!" Olivia waved a hand. "What she's like, what she does for a living, where she's from. Everything, Jace!"
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