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A Mom's Year

Creating a comfortable life one moment at a time

February 14, 2013

Short Fiction: Claire (A Valentine Story)

Claire woke and lay still for a moment, warm under the heavy comforter. The house was quiet, but she could hear the ticking of the grandfather clock down the hall and the gentle roar of the furnace starting up in the basement. She smelled coffee and thought for a moment that Nick had woken up before her and made it.

But then she remembered that he was gone. And it was Valentine’s Day.

She opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling, wondering what would happen if she stayed in bed all day.

She had never let herself do that. Not even in those first days after Nick’s heart attack. There had been so much to do and people were in and out of the house, constantly. And there was David and Jessica. Claire had shoved her own grief aside to help her children, so lost and bewildered at losing their father just when they were starting their own lives.

She had woken up every day and gone to work and tried to be both mother and father. She had powered through the 337 days since Nick had died and had done her best to accept the fact that he was gone and there was no loophole that would bring him back.

She sat up and threw off the bedcovers and swung her legs over the side. She slid her feet into the waiting slippers and grabbed the robe flung across the end of the bed.

She went downstairs to the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee. After Nick died, she had learned how to program the machine. She had learned how to do a lot of things.

She sat down at the kitchen table. This was her first Valentine’s Day without Nick. Everyone told her the firsts were the hardest. She’d made it through Easter and birthdays and Christmas and New Year’s by focusing hard on her children and her parents and everyone else.

But this was different. Valentine’s Day belonged to her and Nick. He’d never given her roses. “Too formal,” he’d said. “Being with you is like being in a field of daisies.” And every year he’d brought home the biggest bouquet he could find.

She thought of David and Jessica. They both attended college nearby, but it was Saturday and they’d be busy. David had a girlfriend he’d be taking out and Jessica would go out with friends after her shift at the restaurant. Which, thought Claire, was exactly how it should be. This was their time to be young and she didn’t want to hold them back.

She took another sip of coffee and thought maybe it would have been better if she were at work, surrounded by activity. Or maybe not, as people discussed their plans for the evening or flowers were delivered to desks.

Claire felt suddenly impatient with herself. She could have made plans to go out. She wasn’t the only person alone in the world today.

But the truth was that she didn’t want to. She and Nick had rubbed the edges off each other until they fit just so, and Claire knew that no one else could ever fit the same way.

The doorbell rang. Surprised, she pulled her robe shut and went to open the door.

An enormous bouquet of daisies met her eyes, hiding the person holding it. And then Jessica peeked around the flowers and smiled. “Hi, Mom.”

David stood next to her and he held out his arms and Claire stepped into them, not caring about the cold, enveloped in gratitude and grace.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Mom,” he said.

 

Filed Under: Short Fiction Shannon 4 Comments

Reader Interactions

Happy Valentine’s Day!
Mug of Wisdom #43 / Joseph Campbell

Comments

  1. Joan says

    February 16, 2013 at 4:17 pm

    Bittersweet and nicely written, Shannon.

    Reply
  2. Jennifer Anderson says

    March 3, 2013 at 11:29 pm

    Oh, this is beautiful! I love the grandfather clock and the line “rubbed the edges off each other until they fit just so. I also love daisies more than roses. This is numbered; is it part of a series of Valentine’s Day stories? I’ll have to browse your site now and see if there are more!

    Reply
  3. Jennifer Anderson says

    March 3, 2013 at 11:30 pm

    Aha! I figured it out! Going to read the others.

    Reply
  4. Shannon says

    March 3, 2013 at 11:37 pm

    Thanks, Jen. 🙂

    Reply

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Welcome

Hello! My name is Shannon Taylor and I’m a mom of four, originally from Minnesota and now living in Maryland. I "published" my first newsletter when I was nine, and since then, I’ve written and edited for magazines, websites, and textbooks. I started this blog when my kids were small to reflect on life, share ideas, and preserve memories. Now that my children are grown, I continue to use this space to document meaningful moments and practical ideas.

If you're in the mood for a bit of Christmas cheer, you might enjoy THE ADVENT BOX, available wherever books are sold. You can click on the cover below to learn more.

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Pandas are back at the National Zoo! We were there within days of hearing the news. 😂 Bao Li and Qing Bao are enjoying the spruced-up panda home on the zoo`s Asian Trail.

We last saw the pandas during a trip to D.C. in May 2011. I`m not sure if it was Mei Xiang or Tian Tian who firmly kept their back to us, but it was pretty hilarious. (photo #7) Not only did we get to see those wonderful pandas, but we got to spend time with Alexandra`s godmother, Amy, who was on home leave from her job with the State Department. Amy`s a fellow Midwesterner I met when we were interns waaay back in the day. (We connected watching "Northern Exposure" at Thompson-Markward Hall, affectionately known as the Home for Wayward Women.)

Be sure to put "Visit the Pandas" on your itinerary when you come stay with us in Baltimore. ❤️

10 0
Open post by shannontaylorwrites with ID 18295977556171943
Pandas are back at the National Zoo! We were there within days of hearing the news. 😂 Bao Li and Qing Bao are enjoying the spruced-up panda home on the zoo's Asian Trail. 

We last saw the pandas during a trip to D.C. in May 2011. I'm not sure if it was Mei Xiang or Tian Tian who firmly kept their back to us, but it was pretty hilarious. (photo #7) Not only did we get to see those wonderful pandas, but we got to spend time with Alexandra's godmother, Amy, who was on home leave from her job with the State Department. Amy's a fellow Midwesterner I met when we were interns waaay back in the day. (We connected watching "Northern Exposure" at Thompson-Markward Hall, affectionately known as the Home for Wayward Women.)

Be sure to put "Visit the Pandas" on your itinerary when you come stay with us in Baltimore. ❤️

My mom practiced, practiced, practiced and got to sing at Carnegie Hall for the premiere of "A Vision Unfolding" by Minnesota composer Kyle Pederson. A truly beautiful, uplifting work. I hadn`t been to Carnegie Hall before, so to visit for the first time to watch my mom perform was really wonderful.

Before the concert, we met Mom and her fellow choir member, Kathy, at Patsy`s, just down the block. The traditional Italian food was perfect on a chilly, rainy day—and it was fun to see photos of the celebrities who`ve dined there over the years, from Rihanna to Frank Sinatra (the restaurant`s claim to fame is that it was his favorite).

Mom, Tim, and Will hadn`t been to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum yet, so we headed to lower Manhattan after the concert. As we walked silently through the exhibits, trying to take it all in, I was struck by the distance between the concert, "A Vision of Light," and the grief and darkness around us. I thought of the words Mr. Pederson shared in the playbill, "It is my hope that we lean into the invitation that the choir offers—that each of us might reach out beyond our comfort zone and seek to build bridges of care and connection, finding a better way of being in community." And that’s what art does—it offers light when and where we need it most.

📷: Distinguished Concerts International New York

34 9
Open post by shannontaylorwrites with ID 18047049827096632
My mom practiced, practiced, practiced and got to sing at Carnegie Hall for the premiere of "A Vision Unfolding" by Minnesota composer Kyle Pederson. A truly beautiful, uplifting work. I hadn't been to Carnegie Hall before, so to visit for the first time to watch my mom perform was really wonderful.

Before the concert, we met Mom and her fellow choir member, Kathy, at Patsy's, just down the block. The traditional Italian food was perfect on a chilly, rainy day—and it was fun to see photos of the celebrities who've dined there over the years, from Rihanna to Frank Sinatra (the restaurant's claim to fame is that it was his favorite). 

Mom, Tim, and Will hadn't been to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum yet, so we headed to lower Manhattan after the concert. As we walked silently through the exhibits, trying to take it all in, I was struck by the distance between the concert, "A Vision of Light," and the grief and darkness around us. I thought of the words Mr. Pederson shared in the playbill, "It is my hope that we lean into the invitation that the choir offers—that each of us might reach out beyond our comfort zone and seek to build bridges of care and connection, finding a better way of being in community." And that’s what art does—it offers light when and where we need it most.

📷: Distinguished Concerts International New York

Is there a more endorphin-pumping experience than working out to `80s music? I don`t think so! Thank you to @natalie_dancebody and @mindi_dancebody for a truly joyful workout this morning. So much fun to dance along with two songs the Dancing Mamas tapped to back in the day at our kids` recitals: "Footloose" and "Beat It"! I hope you do this again, @dancebody ❤️🔥🎉

30 2
Open post by shannontaylorwrites with ID 18107239066486783
Is there a more endorphin-pumping experience than working out to '80s music? I don't think so! Thank you to @natalie_dancebody and @mindi_dancebody for a truly joyful workout this morning. So much fun to dance along with two songs the Dancing Mamas tapped to back in the day at our kids' recitals: "Footloose" and "Beat It"! I hope you do this again, @dancebody ❤️🔥🎉

Happy Valentine’s Day! I approach holiday greetings with more caution than I used to because I know these occasions can be painful for people who’ve lost someone. Which is pretty much everyone, especially when you get to be my age.

This day might not be the same as it was, but I hope you still have a valentine, whether it’s a romantic partner or a friend or a much-loved pet. Or yourself. We make good valentines because we know our favorite chocolate and what books we want.

I’ll always hang the Hearts on a String for any kid who’s home on Valentine’s Day, except not this year because the puppy would tear them to bits.

What a great Valentine’s message. 😅 Well. I do hope you have some treats today and you know I’m thinking of you fondly. ❤️

14 1
Open post by shannontaylorwrites with ID 18049981502173328
Happy Valentine’s Day! I approach holiday greetings with more caution than I used to because I know these occasions can be painful for people who’ve lost someone. Which is pretty much everyone, especially when you get to be my age. 

This day might not be the same as it was, but I hope you still have a valentine, whether it’s a romantic partner or a friend or a much-loved pet. Or yourself. We make good valentines because we know our favorite chocolate and what books we want.

I’ll always hang the Hearts on a String for any kid who’s home on Valentine’s Day, except not this year because the puppy would tear them to bits. 

What a great Valentine’s message. 😅 Well. I do hope you have some treats today and you know I’m thinking of you fondly. ❤️
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