10 Minute story

Using the same prompts as Jenni's story (fog, the distant sound of laughter, suspicion, surprise) It was a cold, miserable day and Sinead was late. Late for work, late with her rent, late to the party of life. Her friends all seemed to be moving on, settling down, finding some kind of meaning in life. Sinead was standing still. At 37 she felt she had finally mastered the role of being a twenty-something. She had flatmates she got on with, she wasn’t dependent on her parents any more, and she had settled in a job she didn’t hate. Her credit card bills wiped out most of what was left of her pay cheque after rent, but that was OK. She was staying afloat. Sadly it seemed like she was floating in the shallow end. Fog curled around her legs as she walked slowly through the park. Somewhere a little kid was laughing, lost in the grey mist. No doubt the kid’s proud mother was adjusting her pilates friendly running shoes and beaming with a pride Sinead’s biological clock was getting ever closer to denying her forever. Still, they could get 60 year olds to have babies these days, couldn’t they? Maybe it was all too much? Maybe she should give up on the whole thing and admit that she was a square peg in a round world. She just didn’t fit. Never had, never would. She didn’t hear the child’s approach but she felt he impact distinctly as the rampaging toddler collided with her legs, knocking her to the ground. Staring up at the still standing youngster Sinead saw his lip wobble slightly, his eyes begin to tear up. The mother was nowhere to be seen, lost in the fog. Sinead fought down the urge to panic, smiled at the child and laughed.