When Marco’s wife, Celeste, entered the hospital room, she took his breath away. Memories slammed into him like colossal waves in rapid succession; he was brought back to shouting matches, months of marriage counseling, and handwritten letters scattered across the kitchen table. Divorce papers, unsigned.
She ran to him and wept into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and planted kisses on the top of her head while taking in the scent of her tea tree shampoo—God, how he missed that smell.
As tears streamed down Marco’s face, he felt the waves again. Saw them, too. He closed his eyes and relived the fishing boat capsizing in the Atlantic. He felt the sweltering heat of the unforgiving sun as it blasted him for three days while he and one of his old friends from high school clung to a life raft in the desolate ocean.
“I love you, Marco,” Celeste said.
“And I love you,” he whispered through dry, cracked lips. “Forever.”
Nothing else past or present mattered.
The near tragedy cemented their marriage. And in three days after Marco’s release from the hospital, they began a new voyage through this strange and beautiful life.
Thanks so much for reading “Voyage” — I hope you enjoyed it.
Most of the time when I write short stories, I have no idea how they will end. The characters, their predicaments, and the overall conflict develop as I write. Fellow short story writers, what does your process look like? Does your approach differ if you tackle a lengthier project like a novella or novel? I’m interested to hear!
Take care and thanks again for being here.
I try to let the characters write the story for me. Sometimes I think " Bob is going to jail" and while I'm writing Bob finds a way to avoid jail
Thank you for the read and glimpse at love. It's good to reaffirm forgiveness! I write without an end planned, the imagination has more fun this way!