Flash Fiction / Short Stories

Mommy and Me

"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

The clifftop view is beautiful; I love the smell of the sea tossed up by the waves crashing into the base. He puts his arm around mommy; she's happy, so I'm happy. As the sun disappears, he puts his arm around us both, "It's time to go home, my darlings."

We walk down the path, down into marriage.

First comes the drinking with 'his boys', then debts and mortgage. The arguing doesn't stop. Mommy starts growing bruises after that, but I'm not allowed to tell anyone. Mommy and I play hide and seek sometimes; I close my eyes, block my ears, and sing until she finds me. Sometimes I have to wait.

His friend, the one in the brown suit, comes to see us. He takes out a big life insurance policy to impress his friend. The friend smiles at mommy as the papers are signed, mommy smiles back.

A marriage counsellor advises they go back on holiday, to where they fell in love. Mommy goes there alone sometimes, but he says they should go together.

He reaches the clifftop before us, and he leans on the railing, looking out to sea. Mommy holds my hand as we watch, and wait. The railing groans, then disappears, and so does he. 

The clifftop view is beautiful; I love the smell of the sea tossed up by the waves crashing into the base. The friend puts his arm around mommy; she's happy again, so I'm happy.

"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get. So, throw away the box, and get another, and another, and another, until you get what you want.", Mommy told me as she took off her ring, again.