Prologue
Welcome and thank you for choosing to read my story! Before you begin reading I have a small note regarding the use of AI.
I have never and will never use AI to write my stories. I did not work my ass off to get my bachelors degree in creative writing to cop out with my stories. I put my heart and soul into my books, they are 100% me.
With that, I hope you enjoy! Please feel free of comment/like spam and leave a review once you’ve finished reading 😁
“Ring around the Rosie,”
I smiled at my children as they played on the trampoline in our backyard. They bounced around in a circle happily singing the song. Their little bodies slammed into the mat before jumping back onto their feet, continuing to play and jump. My heart sank and my mouth went dry when Ron launched himself at the safety net, catapulting himself into his younger brother, Justin.
Ronald was five years old and had a tough time trying to remember that his brother was younger than him. He was a spitting image of his father with curly blonde hair, bright green eyes that shined with passion, and ivory skin. Meanwhile Justin looked like me, straight brown hair that was still baby soft, pale blue eyes that could get him anything he wanted, and golden skin from hours of playing in the sun.
I was sitting on the back porch with a book that I abandoned to watch my children. A soft breeze made the changing leaves rustle against one another. The chill of the breeze in combination with the bright sun, partly blocked by clouds, made the day perfect. Perfect for sitting and reading comfortably without sweat ruining the pages.
I sat up when I heard my phone ring from inside.
“Pocket full of posies,”
I looked inside but turned back to the kids. “I’ll be right back, boys,” I say while getting up. They didn’t respond but Ron waved his hand showing that he had heard me.
I quickly rushed inside to answer the phone, thankful that I left the sliding door open. I kept a clean house, so I was able to run through the dining room to the kitchen counter with ease. I dived for my phone, knocking over the salt and pepper shakers. Cringing at the small mess, I answered the phone without looking at the caller ID.
“Yes?” I said once I caught my breath. Racing around with two small boys, I was used to bolting at any given moment. I ran my hand through my hair, getting it out of my face as I listened to the person on the other end.
“Hello, this is Dr. Thompson at Jefferson Memorial Hospital. I’m looking for Benjerman Darling, is he available?” I rolled my eyes, the incorrect pronunciation of my name being the only thing that registered in my mind. Benjamin was such a common name, how hard was it to say it right?
“This is Benjamin Darling,” I said, trying to point out their mistake without being too rude. Heading back outside, my eyes glance back at Ron and Justin. I hated leaving them alone for even a second. It took me a moment to realize that the doctor was still talking.
“You’re married to Michael Darling, correct?” The question causes me to frown in confusion.
“Yes, he’s my husband. What is this about?”
“Ashes, ashes,”
I smiled gently as I heard Justin continue to sing the song on repeat. He didn’t dance, only doing so on very rare occasions, but he sang. He was such a happy child, singing any chance he could, and when he couldn’t-
“Mr. Darling, are you alone? I’m afraid I have some bad news.”
“No, I’m with our children. What happened?” I looked at them with worry. I tried to prepare myself for what was coming next, but I couldn’t. These were the same words that appeared on every doctor show I’d ever watched. I knew exactly what he was about to say; and yet, I couldn’t believe it.
I refused to believe that Michael, my Michael, was gone. Life wouldn’t be so cruel to take my children’s father away from them, from us. Clouds covering the sun made the yard dark. My heart tightened in preparation for the words that were about to plague my ears.
“Your husband was in a car accident. Michael didn’t survive, he’s dead.”
As much as I had tried, I couldn’t prepare myself for how the words made my body numb. My vision became wavy as my eyes filled with tears, my ears began to ring, my children’s laughter became background noise.
How was I going to explain to my children that their father was dead. How could I ruin the perfect day they were having. I dropped back into my chair, my legs giving out, as I looked up into the sky. The warmth of the sun was gone, as was the nice blue sky.
“We all fall down!”
Hello!! Long time no see! I’ve been incredibly busy with trying to juggle eight different projects all at once. I’m not entirely ready to start posting Puzzle Pieces yet but I felt like I had to give y’all something, so here it is- the prologue!!
Tell me what you think?
