Adri Sinclair's Blog - Posts Tagged "flash-fiction"

I met Merrit during a FB party - yes, those things exists and I will be co-hosting on the 16th of June with great Authors Like Jen Winters, Merrit Kelly, Julie Nicholls and many many more. But this post is not about that. It is about Merrit!
Merrit recently published her Debut Novel:
Cullenary Seduction -
You may remember I put a bit up about that! It is a spicy romance happening in the kitchen... and we ALLL know kitchens aren't just for cooking.

Merrit writes flash fiction too, based on pictures she takes. This is another passion she shares with her brilliant hubby.
You can see hubby's art right over here...

So without further babbles from me, I share with you a beautiful bit passionate writing.

Jenna, by Merrit Kelly

It was perfect . Yellow with the palest blush of pink at the tips. It glowed from within. The fragrance was intoxicating. He had never seen a rose more beautiful, and yet it still paled in comparison. It wasn’t her soft, dark auburn hair that fell to her shoulders, or her warm welcoming smile. And, it certainly couldn’t compare to the way her green eyes danced playfully when she laughed. Still, it was a close as he would ever come.. It was the perfect way to remember her. He'd name it after her, Jenna. Whenever he felt lost or alone he could come out and water her, uh it. He could water it, and breathe in her perfume. The blooms would last a few weeks. He wasn’t sure how he would feel once she was barren, bereft of blooms. Then, it would feel as if she were really gone. He would be reduced to crossing the days off on the calendar until she bloomed again.

He wiped a tear from his bright blue eyes, and looked out across the garden. It was early yet. The cool air and high humidity created damp, heavy dew on things. The row of rose bushes at the far end of the garden stood proudly, elegantly apart from the rest. Even to the casual observer it was clear the gardener took special care with them. He took off his baseball cap and stuffed it brim first into the back pocket of his jeans. He didn’t care if he got a little wet. It was a mist really, not rain.

Jenna McQaid was the love of his life and the rose he'd created was his tribute to her. They met in 1972 at Boyd Castle’s 21st birthday barbecue bash. Jenna was fun, forthright, and fearless. When she walked up to him and told him he had eyes like Paul Newman, he was a goner. He would have rathered she told him he looked like Redford instead of Newman, but he’d take what he could get. A flurry of dates followed. He’d even considered asking her to marry him when a little invitation from Uncle Sam halted him in his tracks. They exchanged a few letters at first, when he didn’t commit they stopped. He couldn’t expect her to wait for him. Instead, he did his tour of duty with her picture tucked under his shirt close to his heart.

When he made it home in one piece he heard she married and moved way. He wasn’t surprised, but he was devastated. He’d never felt that kind of electricity, closeness with another woman before or since. He never married, choosing to live a quiet life. The garden was his lifeline, his therapy. It kept the nightmares and the stress away. Over time it grew into a much bigger project than he originally envisioned. There was a vegetable garden, a meditation garden, but people came from everywhere to see his flowers especially, his roses. His roses were famous.

Thank you Merrit, for this sweet, powerful, heart-punching bit of writing! My goodness lady!

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Matt
by

Merritt Kelly

Jenna looked at the blooms, pure, glaring white, without even a hint of blemish. They were breathtaking. Normally she considered rhododendrons a humble flower. But in this setting, and the sheer number, the effect was stunning. It reminded her of the ruffles on a bridal gown. She steadied her hand and took a picture. At the edge of the garden she saw a tall man leaning on a shovel. Something about his bearing was familiar. He began to walk toward and it hit her. It was Matt! A smile spread over his face and he held out a hand.
"I guess what they say it true. If you build it they will come. How are you Jenna?" he asked hardly believing his eyes.
”I’m fine Matt. I was in town visiting my daughter and grandchildren. They told me about this place and said I should visit. They didn’t do it justice. It's gorgeous," she enthused, giving his hand a squeeze before releasing it.
"Thank you I try," he answered.
"It must have taken you years," Jenna observed.
"It did. Best therapy I ever had. I had a lot of anger, this let me work it out."
He looked at her. Her hair was gray now with a spiky cut that suited her impish personality. She had the same mischievous grin and glowing skin. Time had been kind.
"You look more like Newman now than ever. Especially around the eyes," she laughed.
"Jenna, it’s so good to see you. I’m so sorry for the way things turned out. I couldn’t ask you to wait when I didn’t know if I’d come home." She held up a hand to stop him.
Please don’t be sorry. It’s was for the best. We were so young."
"You said something about your family?"
"Yes my daughter, her husband, and kids live here. I came back to visit them."
"So where your husband?"
"He died two years ago, lung cancer," she said quietly. "Ever since my daughter has been trying to woo me back here to Middlebrook. How about you? Wife? Kids? Grand kids?

"None of the above. This garden has been my life for years," he answered, suddenly feeling embarrassed.
"It shows, oh Matt it is glorious. You're famous, you know. I even kept some clippings from when the garden first opened."
"I’m flattered. Creating this community garden was more than a civic project or therapy. I’s a gift, to the community, and to me and it gives everyday.
"I can see that," she said. "Where do you suppose Boyd Castle is these days?"
"I haven’t thought about Boyd in years! If it weren’t for him we might never have met," Matt remarked.
" I don’t know, I think it was fate. Boyd hasn’t got anything to do with this right now, Blue Eyes," she laughed.
Same funny, forthright, Jenna, he thought. "Let me give you a guided tour," he said, offering her his arm. "I've got something special I want to show you."

Merrit recently published her Debut Novel:
Cullenary Seduction –
You may remember I put a bit up about that! It is a spicy romance happening in the kitchen… and we ALLL know kitchens aren't just for cooking.

Merrit writes flash fiction too, based on pictures she takes. This is another passion she shares with her brilliant hubby.
You can see hubby’s art right over here…