Aster`s Husband Ch 7 by Leanne Dyck

 Chapter six: New love is born...

photo by ldyck

Chapter seven

Sunrise and sunset, Darlene and I share our summers—alternating between my house and hers. She skillfully helps me hammer, saw and paint my new home. Never complaining. In fact, seeming to take delight in the work.

“This place is so cool,” she tells me. “Everything just makes so much sense. It’s all so space efficient.”

And I help her repair the grand old dame—the leaky faucets, the peeling wallpaper, the... It’s a long list.

“You know my great-great-grandfather was a sea captain. He’s the guy who built this house. He was trying to win the heart of an island gal—my great-great-grandmother. And he did.” She shares her family legends with me.

I dream of endless days with Darlene. And nights...

Spent, we snuggle warm in each other's arms, and I know I have to tell her about Aster. But what do I say? Maybe something like: I loved her once, but she pushed me away. Unwanted but still feeling committed, I was stuck in purgatory. Waiting for—? I had no idea what. And now I know I was waiting for you. For a long time, I still felt responsible for her. But now I don’t. Now I’m free. You’re my—. “Darlene—.”

“Kjartan, I... I’m sorry, go ahead.”

“No, I insist you first.”

“I’m... Well, I’m... I’m pregnant.”

photo by ldyck

Thank you for reading Aster`s Husband

It's over... What will we do with the rest of August?

Don't worry, I have a plan...

Sunday, August 24

Book Review: The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

"Although the book addresses the dark period in North America's history known as the '60s Scoop, it maintains an..."

Sunday, August 31

Stranger (short story) by Leanne Dyck

"...a few feet away from my bench, the elevator door opened and..."

"Sleeping in her dog bed...mostly."

photo by Byron Dyck

Happy Ending (short story)

Aster`s Husband Ch 6 by Leanne Dyck

 Chapter five: When old love dies...

photo by ldyck

Chapter six

Darlene takes me home. Down a winding road and up a hill, the grand old dame has been passed from generation to generation in her family. She inherited it from a maiden aunt. Oh, what secrets it hides under its creaky floorboards and between its walls.

"Let's make supper." Darlene heads down the hall to her country kitchen, and I follow close behind. 

The warm evening invites us to enjoy our meal on the veranda in padded wicker chairs. Mouthful after mouthful, I can’t help thinking about Darlene’s legs wrapped around my torso. And I know she feels the same.

She takes my hand and leads me down the hall to her bedroom. I watch her fold the quilt and tuck it into the trunk at the foot of the bed. A smile on her lips, she pulls me to her, but...

I hear Aster’s voice so clearly, it’s like she’s in bed with me. No, not like that... I’m not comfortable when you... I try to dislodge myself from my wife’s ceaseless instructions. Darlene isn’t Aster. But what if... What if we can’t? I have warned her. I have to let her know that if it can’t happen, it’s my fault, not hers. “Sometimes I have trouble...” 

Hold on—. What’s she doing now? Wow. Aster would never... But now.

Entwined, we dance like our bodies are meant for only this.

I lose my heart, my mind... I lose control. Complete and total control. I never thought it could be this way. I only hoped. And now I know it can.

photo by ldyck

New love is born

Chapter seven (last chapter)

photo by ldyck

Without a reader

A writer's words mean

Nothing

Sharing My Author Journey...

Writers love words. ...right?

Aster's Husband Ch 5 by Leanne Dyck

 Chapter four: The meeting of minds; the meeting of hearts. He is in trouble.

photo by ldyck

Chapter five

No email, no text, no voice-mail, no note by the phone. Aster would have contacted me if she’d made supper plans. Nothing in her life happens without a plan. So I thought she’d be home by 5.

I seldom cook, but she appreciates it when I do. The potatoes boil. I mash them, add butter and milk. The creamy white potatoes conjure a memory... Aster in a white gown, arm-in-arm with her father, passing row after row of family and friends, heading up the aisle to me. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, overcome by her steady approach.

"I do,” we said and kissed—sealing the promise. We vowed that our love would last, but will it? Can it?

A layer of hamburger meat, a layer of corn, topped with mashed potatoes, I put the casserole dish in the oven.

The timer rings. The Shepherd’s pie is ready. Aster is late—loudly proclaiming yet again that I’m the last thing on her mind. I busy myself setting the table, lighting the candles. If I can make her see... If we go away together, leaving all other concerns behind... Maybe we can once again find what is left of us. My desperate attempt...

There’s a noise at the back door. Aster?

I rush into the kitchen and heat our plated meals in the microwave.

“Oh, Kenneth James, how lovely. Please accept my apologies for my tardiness.”

I guess she noticed the table.

“Don’t worry, just enjoy.” A plate in each hand, I bring them to the table.

“Oh, I so love Sunday R--."

"It's Sheppard's Pie."

"Well, you shouldn't have gone to all that trouble." But she manages to gag it down. At least the meal is from her culture, not mine. It's not like I was asking her to eat "hardfish" or skyr.

I pour the wine, reach for her hand and lean in close. “Come away with me.”

Her eyes light up. She’s listening.

I show her pictures of the island—sunrises, sunsets, flowers, trees, deer. “Aster, it’s so beautiful there. You’ll see. Let me show it to you.”

She waves the photo of the deer around like it’s evidence of a crime. “Where were you when you captured this image? Kenneth James, you have to use more caution. Your life is fragile.”

“I’m not some dotty old geezer. I know what I’m doing.”

We eat our meal in awkward silence. We haven't been face-to-face for weeks. And when we finally are, this is what happens. No, she isn't dead, but our marriage is.

                                    

photo by ldyck

               

 When old love dies...

                                                    Chapter six

                                                  

The Phone Call 

I was in the kitchen of my ridiculously huge apartment when the phone rang. I'd just