Anxiety

The moment I finished the first draft of False Trails, I turned my attention to the second story for October. Without a clear idea of what story I wanted to tell, I headed to NYC Midnight’s challenges from 2019 and searched for a prompt for a Historical Fiction narrative. I stared at the writing prompt, and I leaned back and started thinking about cattle ranches and how I’d weave a wedding dress into the tale. With the story’s skeleton in place, I decided to incorporate some romance into the narrative.

I did some research into the workings of an 1800s cattle ranch in the Midwest, and I placed a few of those details into the story. After the first round of editing, I realized that this tale might be a romance with some historical bindings. Pull up a chair and head over to my Patreon page to become a patron or delve into the story of Emma and Thomas.

Emma and Thomas’s wedding is approaching, but the bride is uneasy with this new chapter in her life. Can her parents soothe Emma’s unease…

Anxiety

A robust man bent down, lifting his wife’s head from her needlework. He leaned forward and kissed her. When they finished, he knelt and drew the back of his hand along her cheek. “I’ll return shortly with dinner, Anna.”

She dropped the garment into her lap and wrapped her arms around the man’s neck, pulling his lips back to hers. When they parted, Anna released her grip and caressed her husband’s face with her fingertips. “Have we provided Emma and Thomas enough to guarantee them a prosperous future together?”

He smiled at his wife and kissed the top of her forehead, “They’ll have everything they need to make a fresh start once we’re gone.”

As a tear formed in Anna’s eye, she sniffled and wiped it away with her thumb. “But Henry, will our efforts allow them to prosper and flourish?”

“She’ll be able to guide Thomas,” her husband answered as he went outside.

With a series of sniffles, Anna guided her needle along the hem of the garment resting in her lap. She pulled a handkerchief from her bodice and patted her eyes as she studied the dancing flames. Anna shoved the cloth up her sleeve and lifted the piece of clothing off her legs. She quickly found the needle, and her fingers continued their relentless labor.

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