Thank you to Rochelle Wisoff-Fields who hosts Friday Fictioneers. Each week Rochelle chooses a photo prompt to inspire writers to produce a 100 word piece of flash fiction. Do use the link to her blog if you are interested in joining the group. It’s a great way to get involved in writing.
PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
The edge of uncertainty
The celebrations drew to a close. My husband led me outside. The wedding guests accompanied us to the archway, singing and cheering as they waved us through to the beginning of our life together.
In our new home, he gently embraced me. He started to speak but hesitated, struggling to control his emotions.
“I’m so sorry,” he said at last. “We have done what was required of us but I can’t do more. I cannot stay tonight. Please try not to be angry with me. I’ll return in the morning.”
I stared at the door as it closed behind him.
I wasn’t expecting that, and neither it seems, was she.
LikeLiked by 1 person
She certainly wasn’t expecting that at all! Thank you for your response.
LikeLike
Oh dear! At least she’ll have the bed all to herself.
Please click to read my FriFic
LikeLiked by 1 person
Every cloud . . . ! Thank you for your comment.
LikeLike
Aww.. all alone on her wedding night?? Bummer..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not quite how she’d imagined it, I guess! Thank you for your response.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oy! The question is, will she let him back in the house!
LikeLike
That’s an interesting dilemma! Oh to be a fly on the wall when morning comes . . . Thank you for your thought-provoking comment.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s not the start to a happy marriage. Intriguing to know the back story as to why they had to do it, and his reasons for abandoning her that night. Good stuff.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Iain. I’m glad it captured your interest.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, what a creative take on the prompt. Nicely done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much!
LikeLike
What?! Why?! What a story! I want to know more. :o)
LikeLiked by 1 person
There will be more, I promise! Thank you for your response.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll be waiting. :o)
LikeLiked by 1 person
This was a surprise! I want to know more, too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. I’ll have to get the next chapter written!
LikeLike
Please do tell more.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. I promise I will.
LikeLike
It would be most interesting to know WHO required it of them and WHY.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for your comment. You will see from my response to Varad that it was a marriage of convenience/arranged marriage. The detail of who and why will follow in another story. Do keep reading!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It would be good if you’d install a “Follow this blog” button in your side bar for your readers’ convenience. I was looking for some Follow button and can’t see one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for your suggestion, Christine. I have a lot to learn in terms of good blog practice and I appreciate any points that will help with this!
LikeLike
Gulp! Abandoned on her wedding night and I think I know why. Nicely done! Nan
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Nan.
LikeLike
The suspense is certainly intriguing. I’ll wait for more!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for your response. There’s more on the way!
LikeLike
Was it a marriage of convenience? Very intriguing piece that makes me want for more. Well written. Cheers, Varad
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for your perceptive response. It was, indeed, an arranged marriage. I have found that attention is often drawn to the impact on women of the requirement to comply with social and/or cultural expectations. My aim was to represent a different point of view. More is to follow!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, how horrid. To be left alone on your wedding night… ach, but I know that one too well. We married/ remarried in 2015, and that night Hubs spent all night on the radio. In all fairness, though, it was Field Day (the biggest, baddest Ham radio contest of the whole year!). Much like our first wedding night 22 years ago when he had to leave at the end of the reception to go to work the night shift. One gets used to being alone after a while, eh.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You certainly are familiar with the ‘alone on the wedding night’ situation! I hope you were better prepared for it than the character in my story. You certainly sound as if you dealt with the separation with good humour. Thank you so much for sharing your experience.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well that’s disappointing. I recall a pop song from the late 1960s where a woman who turned down a man’s attempts at seduction when they were single refused to sleep with her on their wedding night. To this day, the song makes no sense to me.
In this situation though, perhaps they were required to marry to fulfill some obligation, but while she was willing to make a go of it, it seems he wasn’t.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m going to check that song out. It sounds crazy to me too!
You have very accurately summed up the position of the characters in my story. Thank you, James.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This raises questions…what was required and why? Oh, is she pregnant and he was only marrying her because it’s expected? But she didn’t know that he really doesn’t love her?
Well written!
LikeLike
Well written with a great and surprising reveal at the end. I wonder what obligations they were having to fulfil that mad e them have to marry
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Michael, I’m glad you liked the story. I will be writing more about this situation so please keep reading!
LikeLike
Very well written. It makes me yearn for more! He must have been exceptionally conscientious not to have taken advantage of the situation. Or maybe he was gay. Or impotent. Um. I wonder…
LikeLiked by 1 person
He is a decent guy facing a particular dilemma …
More of this story is on the way! Thank you for your response.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for following my blog. I hope you enjoy whatever is to come. I’m so sorry, I accidentally deleted your comment telling me that you are following. Clumsy fingers are the culprits. They are just not co-operating today!
LikeLike
Haha! I know what clumsy fingers are like!
LikeLike
With a teaser like that, I can’t resist following your blog!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much. I hope you enjoy reading whatever is to come!
LikeLike
Oh dear! She seems destined to spend her life childless.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Perhaps. But, then again, perhaps not! Thank you for your response.
LikeLike
Argggh! How did I miss this one!
The cad!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you found it and read it! Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such an unexpected end to such a lovely day, so sad. 😟
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for your response. Perhaps there’s happiness in the future… Do read the next two instalments if you’d like to see how things begin to develop.
LikeLike