Happy 2017! I’m starting my year the way I ended it: reading lots of books. I have a whole bunch of new ones on my Kindle that were part of my Christmas gift, and I have a few I’m working on by request of the author. My goal is 60 books by the end of the year. I doubled that in 2016, but it was a bit much.
I’m also whittling away at Keeping the Faith, the last part of Micah & Cat’s story. It’s bittersweet for a lot of reasons. I know some people would love if I wrote about them forever, but I can tell it’s time to let them go. I thought about waiting (this book is set several years in the future, and I can’t predict what will happen between now and then). But because I’m ready to move on, it needs to be done now.
I think it will be clear eventually from the context what’s going on (and it certainly is in the actual book), so I’m not going to spell it out here. You’ll just have to trust me, I suppose. In this snippet, Micah’s gone to visit LR, Cat’s sister.
WIPmath: No math. New year, new snippets, first chapter.
Micah sat at his sister-in-law’s kitchen table, spooning food into his nephew’s open mouth. About fifty percent of it made it—hopefully—to Robbie’s stomach; the other half landed on his chin, the tray in front of him, and Micah’s hand. Robbie giggled and blew a raspberry, resulting in flecks of pureed squash landing on Micah’s cheek.
LR glanced over. “You really don’t have to do that. He can eat Cheerios until I finish the dishes.”
“I don’t mind.”
Never having wanted his own children, Micah nevertheless loved the ones belonging to other people. Good thing, or he wouldn’t have made a very good teacher. It had surprised him—and Cat—that Micah had taken so readily to babies, though. Robbie was number four and the third unplanned surprise. LR swore he was the last.
Micah finished feeding the baby and stepped to the sink for a cloth to clean himself, Robbie, and anything in a ten-foot radius of the high chair. LR glanced at him and choked on a laugh.
“Got some in your hair,” she said.
“Gross,” Micah remarked. He reached up with the damp cloth and wiped at it.
While he cleaned up, he contemplated what he wanted to say to LR. He wasn’t sure how to explain. They were close, made possible in large part because LR lived next door to him. Cat had moved in with Micah, and the house, which technically she’d owned anyway, had become hers. It was a good thing, too—she and Jamal had barely been married five minutes when she officially announced she was pregnant. Only Cat and Micah had known before the wedding.
“Can I talk to you about something?” Micah asked, lifting Robbie from the high chair.
Like what you read? Be sure to check out the other entries and add your own. Just post a bit of your WIP, connect it to the date, and link up with us. Many thanks to Emily Witt for giving us this space. Happy reading and writing!
Ohhh! Hmmm.
Hmmm.
I have too many thoughts and no words. Yes, this hits the ‘intriguing’ spot. Now I’m wondering if I’m seeing something that isn’t actually there, or… [shut up, Deb].
I assumed you’d already figured out the Big Thing anyway, though that’s not particularly secret. I mean, I’ve been working up to it with various short stories and such for a while. Not sure which part you’re wondering about, but Jamal is very much alive and still married to LR, and Micah loves her, but only like a sister. I’ll probably follow this up with a different bit from the same chapter on Saturday, which might make it more clear. If not, I’ll post what comes immediately after this next week. I’m just…hedging, I guess. Not really wanting people mad at me sooner than they need to be.
I love the descriptions of tiny Robbie’s food going everywhere (so accurate), and of Micah’s affinity for kids despite not wanting any of his own. That’s something I can relate to a lot.
I figure a lot of people can. Many people don’t want kids, but lots don’t feel like they are free to be honest about it. I’m the opposite—I love my own kids, but I’m not that interested in other people’s. At least, not for long stretches. I used to really hate babysitting, which seems to be a taboo thing for teen girls to express.
I came to realize this about myself over the summer. I love my kid. Other people’s kids? Not so much.
Cute scene! I remember those days with the Boyo. Heck, they still happen about 80% of the time. Just with more ‘no’s! I feel like Ive read this scene before though… didn’t you share it earlier this year? (Or maybe I’m just experiencing a really strong bout of deja vu?)