It’s the last Promptly Penned of the year – yeah, I don’t know how that’s possible, either. Here’s the prompt, and my story’s down below.
It’s odd how life is rarely about those big important choices, but hinges on the small stupid choices you didn’t even realize were choices until it was too late.
Pink or blue?
Chocolate or vanilla?
Wheat or white?
Cake or pie?
Apple or cherry?
The waitress stopped at my table and pulled a handful of those little non-dairy creamer containers from the stained pocket of her apron and dropped them on the table–the plastic and liquid rattling strangely against the formica.
“I’ll be back with your pie, hon.”
I forced a smile. “Thanks.”
Coffee or tea?
Cream or sugar?
Dumping five of the little creamers into my coffee, I watched as the clouds billowed upward, swallowing the inky darkness.
Paper or plastic?
Pencil or pen?
Right or left?
Diet or regular?
I reached for the Sweet ‘n Low then changed course and grabbed the sugar container instead.
As she walked away, my dad came in from outside, his rig parked at the far end of the diner’s parking lot. He leaned over and kissed the top of my head before sliding into the molded plastic bench across from me.
Top or bottom?
Up or down?
Happy or sad?
It’s odd how life is rarely about those big important choices, but hinges on the small stupid choices you didn’t even realize were choices until it was too late.
“What’s so important that you wanted to talk to me in the middle of a haul, Abby-girl?” he asked as he glanced over a plastic laminated menu that had a sticky-looking jam smear across the front.
I shrugged. “Can’t a girl just want to spend some time with her dad?”
His eyebrows rose ,and he looked at me over the top of his menu.
Cash or credit?
Good or bad?
Boys or girls?
I took a sip of my still too-hot coffee and scalded my tongue. Quickly gulping the metallic-tasting tap water, I tried to cool the burn and figure out how to approach it.
“Abs?” he asked. “You okay?”
I closed my eyes. “Kevin and I broke up. I’m pregnant, and Katie and I are getting married. We don’t want anything from you, except for you to be there.” My words left me in a rush, and I cracked open my eyes.
He nodded once then turned to the waitress who was wiping down the counter. “When you get a second, hon, I’m gonna need a lotta coffee–black. Oh, and all the coconut cream pie you got.”
She nodded, and he turned back to me. “Okay, how about you start at the beginning.”
This is very cute. I liked it a lot and it’s a good hook.
Thank you! I’ll admit it – I was completely floundering with this prompt.
This is great. I love how she blurts it all out then the dad is all… okay. Coffee and pie. Nicely done.