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readingforsanity · 9 months

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The Surrogate Mother | Freida McFadden | Published 2018 | *SPOILERS*

Abby wants a baby more than anything.

But after years of failed infertility treatments and adoptions that have fallen through, it seems like motherhood is not in her future. That is, until her personal assistant Monica makes a generous offer that will make all of Abby’s dreams come true.

Or all of her nightmares.

Because it turns out Monica isn’t who she says she is. The woman now carrying Abby’s child has dark, twisted secrets.

And she will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

Abby and her husband Sam are expecting, but Abby isn’t pregnant. After an infection left her uterus scarred, Abby found herself unable to conceive a baby naturally. After a rigorous process, they matched with a young 16-year-old girl who is giving them their baby.

Abby works in advertising and Sam is a math professor at a university. The two of them are seemingly perfect for each other. After a successful meeting where a campaign she is working on is a huge success, her friends and co-workers throw her a baby shower, but in the midst of the celebrations, Sam arrives with the news that Janelle, the girl who trusted them with her child, had backed out.

Abby is devastated, as is Sam. Despite wanting a newborn baby, something she has dreamed of for years, they end up deciding to go ahead and adopt an older child as the process is much easier, though it will still take another year. When she arrives at her office the next morning, her assistant, Monica, offers to be a surrogate for the couple. Abby doesn’t think this is a good idea given their professional relationship, but all Monica is looking for in return is that they pay for her to return to grad school, and once she begins showing, she would resign her position at the agency and that they would cover her expenses.

Sam doesn’t like the idea, but agrees to meet with her to talk about the options. After interviewing her and everyone she knows, including former roommates and her mother, they agree to move forward with the process. Sam is still reluctant to go through with it, but gives in because Abby has wanted it for so long.

After the embryo transfer is complete, Monica becomes pregnant on the first try. Abby is thrilled, as is Sam, though his enthusiasm doesn’t come forward. The relationship between the three of them attempts to stay as professional as possible. But, beforelong, Monica begins showing signs that she is after Sam. Abby’s calendar mysteriously begins changing without her knowledge, but Abby doesn’t understand how it could be happening.

After a meeting with Abby’s client goes bad, and Monica saves the day, Abby’s boss begins taking a liking to her. After a urine test comes back positive for methamphetamines, Denise fires Abby. Abby explains that she has never taken a drug in her life, and she isn’t aware of what could be happening. Her behavior had been erratic as of late, and it explains.

Abby, the next day, meets with her former assistant, Gertie, who was forced into retirement after a fall left her hip broken. Abby begins to think that Monica had something to do with it in order to gain access to Abby herself. Denise calls in the midst of their coffee date, and explains that she had found Monica snooping in her desk, and that she ended up finding Adderall prescribed to Monica that might explain why Abby’s drug test popped positive for amphetamines. She wants to meet with her that night, and Abby agrees.

But when Abby arrives at the office, she finds Denise in her office, murdered. The murder weapon? A letter opener with her name on it that was a gift from Sam from their most recent wedding anniversary. The police question Abby, and they think that she did it, and the evidence against her is overwhelming. Sam is devastated, and he isn’t sure what to do.

On the way home, she sees Monica’s roommate Chelsea walking, and she confronts her. But, now everything is coming together. It turns out Chelsea isn’t real, and her real name is Taylor, and that she was paid $200 to lie to the couple about how great Monica was. Taylor gives her the names of Monica’s actual former roommates, who says that she was a bit erratic, as was her mother who had been at the apartment every day and also acted erratically. But when Abby meets her mother, Louise, she finds her normal, though the information that she shares is devastating.

Originally from Boston, they had to leave because Monica was believed to have been involved with a girls disappearance and eventual murder. Despite getting Monica help, nothing seemed to be working. it is also revealed that Sam might be conspiring with Monica, as she had been in one of Sam’s classes a few years ago, and it appears that the two of them have been having an affair for the last 3 years.

When Abby confides in Shelley, her best friend, she agrees that it is plausible, and the two of them going drinking. When Abby returns home, she tries snooping in his phone but is caught red-handed. Sam leaves the next morning for his lecture, and Gertie arrives to make her a breakfast, feeling badly over everything that had happened to her recently. But then Monica arrives, and the truth is finally revealed.

Monica and Gertie are mother and daughter, and the two of them conned up this plan in order to trap Sam. When Gertie met Sam while working for Abby, Monica was a student at the university where he taught, and she told Monica to get into one of his classes. As someone with a genius-level IQ, it was easy for her. She says they instantly fell in love, but now Sam is having a hard time telling her the truth.

When Sam unexpectedly arrives home, and finds Abby tied up in their bedroom, it is apparent that Sam had nothing to do with Monica and Gertie’s schemes. Sam attempts to take the gun away from Monica, though this is not easy and Abby was able to untie herself from her restraints, to help. Gerite comes out of her hiding spot, and Monica, in her haste to fight Sam off, ends up shooting her in the head and killing her mother. The sleeping pills that they hid in her orange juice are taking effect and before she loses consciousness, she hears the gun go off again and assumes that Sam is gone now.

Abby awakens in the hospital, and learns that Sam is alive. It was a superficial wound, and that Monica ended up shooting herself. Abby assumes that means she is now dead, and asks about the baby. Their son was able to be saved, and is currently in the NICU, and though Sam wants to keep the baby, he says he’d understand if she didn’t, but she does. She wanted this for so long and it’s finally here. But she also learns that Monica is alive.

A year later, their son, David, is learning a bunch of stuff and while their lives aren’t perfect, their family is now complete. However, while David looks just like Sam, he does have Monica’s real hair color, which is blonde. But despite all of this, Abby is happy to be where she is with her family. But, when Louise, Monica’s stepmother arrives bearing a gift, Abby doesn’t want to give it to him, nor does Sam, despite learning that she is still in a vegetative state (though it is alluded that she is getting better, though this is not confirmed), she does anyway, and David takes to Monica’s childhood blanket with ease.

Another amazing read from Freida. This one had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. At one point, I thought for sure Sam was guilty, but turns out he was actually such a saint. 4/5!

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sirphillipcranestanaccount · 3 years

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Modern AU teaser under the cut. Let me know what y’all think!

“Ugggh” Eloise said, dropping her forehead onto the textbook that lay on the table in front of her. She looked at her phone, 10:30 on a Friday night and she was still in the library. “How did I get myself into this situation?” she raised her head and looked across the table at Penelope, “Pen, when I said ‘oh I think I’m going to get a master’s in English’, English of all things, why didn’t you talk me out of it?”

Penelope shifted her eyes from her laptop screen to Eloise without moving her head. “Because,” she began to reply, never once stopping her typing “I believe your exact words were ‘Pen, I’m going to grad school and there’s no way you can talk me out of it’.”

“She’s right, El,” Edwina said not bothering to look up from her computer, “I have it on video.”

“How many drinks had I had up to that point?” Eloise’s head was once again in her textbook making her words difficult to hear. “And was I aware at the time that I would have to read The Canterbury Tales again?”

“None and yes,” Penelope replied.

“Ugh,” Eloise repeated, “what are you two working on?” she wanted to distract herself from Chaucer for a moment,

“I’m writing a paper about the works and political activism of Susan Sontag,” Penelope answered.

“I’m writing a reflection on a trip I had to take to the Met,” Edwina stated, “so I’m attempting to be engaging about statues I have seen on what must be at least a hundred occasions.”

“Do you guys remember in undergrad when we used to do fun and interesting things on the weekends?” Eloise asked.

“I don’t think that emptying 4 bottles of Barefoot Riesling and eating buffalo wings while watching Golden Girls re-runs could be deemed interesting in any sense of the word,” Penelope said, “plus, judging by the frequency with which Eddie’s phone has been vibrating, she certainly has an interesting weekend ahead of her,” she smirked.

Eloise’s head popped up in interest. Finally a distraction! “Are these texts from a gentleman?” she asked with a tone of overstated interest.

Edwina started to flush “Do you guys remember that TA I had last semester for my archaeology class?”

“The one who’s so smart and funny and cute and always replied to your e-mails right away?” Eloise replied, “I’m not sure if you mentioned him.”

Edwina’s eyes narrowed at Eloise’s teasing, “Well, we went out and got coffee the other week and we’ve been texting ever since, and long story short I think I’m going to marry him.”

“Marriage?” Eloise scoffed, “have you two even…?” she let her words trail off, but let a rude gesture with her hands finish the statement.

“I was being facetious,” Edwina replied, “and no, I haven’t slept with him,” she returned to typing just before adding, “Very ladylike hand gesture by the way.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I’ve never once tried to be ladylike in my life,” Eloise retorted.

“The blouse and pencil skirt you’re wearing at the library would state otherwise,” Penelope teased.

“Pen, you know I have to wear this when I tutor,” she shot back “apparently I have to look professional when I’m trying to help freshmen comp lit majors figure out what Candide is about.”

“What is Candide about?” Edwina asked.

“Hell if I know,” Eloise replied with a shrug. She looked back at her phone, “can we go home now?” she asked, “I hate walking through the park after 11.”

Penelope closed her computer, “I was about to suggest the same.”

As the 3 women walked out of the now-empty library Eloise spotted something on a bench in the vestibule between the library doors. It was a leather-bound notebook with a snap closure. Eloise couldn’t help but be curious, so she opened it.

“What on Earth are you doing El?” Penelope asked, “we are in New York City, god knows where that’s been!”

“Calm down Pen, it’s not street trash,” she replied. She opened to the first page of the notebook and read: property of Phillip Crane. If found, please contact [email protected]

Phillip got home and all but went straight to sleep. Well, first he thanked and said goodbye to his Aunt who had been kind enough to watch his children after their most recent nanny had quit.

It appeared that the final straw for the most recent young lady–in what seemed to be a revolving door of unfortunate women (and some men)– was when the twins had decided to put a layer of cream cheese on the deodorant that they found in her purse. Phillip was more bewildered by his children’s antics than anybody, but even he had to admit that someone who decided to pursue a career in child care ought to be made of sterner stuff.

But today had been a long day, and he needed to sleep before he went back to the lab tomorrow. He peaked his head into Oliver and Amanda’s room to make sure they were asleep. Or, if not asleep, not causing trouble. Then he went to his room and simply fell face down on the bed.

Phillip woke up the next morning to his alarm at 6 am in the clothes he had worn the day previous. He cursed under his breath, he was planning to wear that pair of khakis again today, but now they were all wrinkled and so was his shirt. Phillip went out into the kitchen and started making coffee when he heard a small voice from behind him.

“Daddy, you’re not going to wear those clothes to work are you?” He turned around to see Amanda in her pajamas.

“Don’t I look good?” Phillip joked with her.

“You look like you slept in your clothes,” she said flatly, moving a chair to the side of the cabinet to reach for the cereal that was a bit too high for her to reach on her own.

“That’s just the look I was going for,” he smiled and took a sip of his coffee, “do you want me to pack your lunch for you?” he asked. He didn’t have to be at the lab until 9:00 this morning.

“No thanks,” Amanda said passing him to get milk from the refrigerator, “Me and Oliver packed our lunches last night.”

Phillip felt his stomach knot. He was proud that both of his children were self-sufficient, but he hated the fact that they had to be. Ever since their mother died–and frankly, before–they had needed to be like little adults, in spite of being 8 years old. Phillip tried the best he could to be a good dad to them, but working toward a Ph.D. and having the pressure of a research fellowship on one’s shoulders made active fathering somewhat difficult.

“What did you pack, is it healthy?” Phillip asked, trying to make up for his dead-beat ways.

“Sandwich, apples, yogurt, and cheez-its,” she said matter of factly “I don’t know what Oliver put in his.”

As if on cue Oliver walked into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, “I made the same thing but with chips instead of yogurt, because yogurt is gross.” He joined his sister at the countertop and poured cereal into a bowl that Amanda had already set out for him.

“Alright, kids, what’s on the schedule for today?” Phillip said, putting down his coffee, “anything after school that I should let Aunt Gertie know about?”

“I have piano right after school,” Amanda stated.

“And I have a hockey game at 5,” Oliver said with a mouth full of cereal, “can you come, Dad?”

Phillip’s heart sank, he knew he probably wasn’t going to be able to make it, but he decided to try and humor his son anyway.

“Let me check my book,” he said walking over to his bag. He looked in the brown satchel to find that he couldn’t find the familiar brown leather datebook.

“Shit,” he whispered under his breath, “shit shit shit shit shit.”

“Are you okay dad?” Oliver asked, once more with his mouth full.

“Yes,” Phillip said with a sigh “I just can’t find my datebook.”

Phillip grabbed his phone to check the schedule he tried to maintain electronically and saw that he had an e-mail.

Dear Mr. Crane,

Hello! I just wanted to contact you because I believe I found your datebook outside the library last night. At least, this is the e-mail that was written to contact in case it was found. What is the best way that I can return it to you? I know I’m personally lost without my planner. Let me know how I can get it back to you and I will be sure to do so ASAP.

Sincerely,

Eloise Bridgerton, B.A.

Student | NYU Graduate School of Arts & Science

[email protected]

(212)995-3422

P.S. I suppose I should ask you to describe it, just to make sure I’m handing it off to the right person. Once you’ve done that I will promptly return it to you.

#philoise #to sir phillip with love #modern au #phillip crane #eloise bridgerton

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postmodernmulticoloredcloak · 4 years

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What are your thoughts about how Dean's being treated in the narrative this season? I was excited starting out but so far, I've just been disappointed by how he just seems superfluous to the plot. And I don't understand why the writers seem to be taking shots at him in almost every episode. The Achilles' heel thing, putting responsibility for the rift on his shoulders (while Cas' part is handwaved away), Garth's snub in naming his children, his undisputed claim that Sam is better than him (1)

at everything, Fortuna’s insult…it’s just a lot. Maybe it wouldn’t be so jarring if Dean wasn’t the only character being consistently treated like that. To be fair, it hasn’t been all bad. I’ve liked some of his character development (although I find his new tendency to not voice his dissenting opinion a little worrisome, given his natural intuition) and there have been some awesome scenes like standing up to Chuck. But I just don’t know…(2)

Thank you for this ask! I think it’s an interesting thing to explore. I have been feeling a little iffy about some things this season, too, so I want to use this opportunity to sort through my own thoughts. It’s gonna get long so I’ll put a read more…

Let’s start from the easy part. 15x11: I don’t think that Fortuna was genuine when she made that comment about Dean, and we’re not supposed to take the beach read comment as a reliable perspective. All she does is a sort of test to read them; she lets both Dean and Sam win a match against her at first, as a sort of test but also as a trick to make her opponent confident and make him play again. Except that Dean’s second match is against a very talented player, and he wins not because he’s lucky, but because he’s genuinely skilled. He proves that his skills at pool - a shorthand for his skills in general, which they had been doubting of, wondering whether it was all Chuck - are real.

Could skills beat luck? Probably not when luck is the goddess of luck herself, but I wonder whether Fortuna picked Sam as her opponent when stakes got high instead of Dean because she wanted to play against the less skilled of the two. I think that she’s playing them on and also off the pool table, and Dean realizes this when she goes “this one could be interesting”, you can tell from his reaction that he’s like “hey that’s a trick to play with the less skilled one of us” but Sam takes the bait. She also pretends to fall for Sam’s trick of distracting her by making her talk, just to reveal she can win whenever she wants to when the stakes are final. From what we’ve seen of her, I think we can infer that her modus operandi is to make people confident, so they’ll play again, higher the stakes, and then lose, not necessarily against her, just against someone, and lose their luck - she plays first with Dean when she doesn’t know who he is, and I assume it’s a common trick - let the newcomer win to stroke his confidence. (In gambling, the idea is to give players smalls wins to make them gamble more, and lose more.)

So, the narrative doesn’t give us any reason to believe that Dean isn’t right when he says that he is better than Sam at pool, and the point of the “beach read” comment is that he is not a beach read. Fortuna is supposed to be an unreliable narrator at that point, because she’s testing them. In fact, at the end, she rewards them on the ground of being “heroes”, which invalidates her previous statement, be it genuine or not.

Also consider that “sexy but skimmable” i.e. a pretty idiot, is the sort of taunt that Dean has received often in his life. If Fortuna is truly skilled at reading people, then she picks exactly something that has a history for Dean, and also something that has a history for Sam, i.e. that he’s more “interesting” (smart, skilled, whatever) than his brother. Coincidence?

That he’s pretty but otherwise worthless is something Dean has internalized by being told, not necessarily in words, over and over in his life. That reminded me of John’s old hunter friend who was like “didn’t you grow up pretty” and “if your father could see you now”. It took Dean a long time (and with plenty of fallbacks) to realize he’s more than a pretty face who follows orders. On the other hand, that he’s a more interesting “read” to Dean’s “beach read” is something Sam’s always had in his mind (he was the one who questioned the orders while Dean acted as John’s faithful little dog…) and it took him a long time, and some big blows to his own ego, to get out of that mindset.

So I don’t think it’s random that Fortuna goes for, you know, down with Dean and up with Sam, so to speak.

Dean’s statement that Sam is better than him at everything except pool - I read that as a very parental thing. It’s a very parent thing: telling your child that they’re proud of them for surpassing you. It should be the goal of a parent, you know, that your child is a better person than you - and a parent being like, you’ve become more skilled than me at my skills (except this one non-fundamental thing I can still kick your ass at :p) and I am proud of you, is a common trope.

So I read that as a small but very strong Dean-as-Sam’s-parent moment. Recently Sam also mentioned out loud that Dean raised him, so the writing team has not dropped this very important piece of characterization.

15x10. I think that the point is that Garth is Dean’s friend first and foremost. He doesn’t name his kids after his friends plural, he names his kids after the most important people for his friend singular. That’s how I read it at least. It’s weird because Dean hears one twin is named after Sam and assumes the two siblings are named after the two siblings, and the dissonance between his expectation and reality is what makes the humor. Also… Garth and Dean are a “who knows maybe in another life” kind of duo, you know…? They have a chemistry. Garth is Dean’s type, once you go past the appearances, and judging from Garth’s choice in wife, Dean’s pretty much his type too. You don’t name a child after that kind of person in your life.

Also, from a extra-diegetic perspective, Dean’s mirror is Gertie (from the name Gertrude meaning “strong spear/spear of strength”), the girl, because he’s always aligned with the feminine.

15x09. Now, this is the episode I’ve struggled the most with. Not sure if the problem is the episode itself, or the fact that the episode came after a season of the fandom acting a certain way towards Dean and Cas and their conflict, and that colored the episode a certain tint for me.

I’m kind of suspending judgement as I wait to see how the rest of the season goes and how Dean and Cas’ relationship develops, but my fear is that the narrative never really allows Dean to have emotions, so to speak, nor addresses Cas’ side of the issue(s). 15x09 itself is telling of a certain problem - Dean is experiencing certain emotions and going through a certain thing with Cas, but bam something happens that makes him terrified that he’s lost Cas again, and that forces him to scrap what he was going through. I’m not sure I’m explaining myself well here but bear with me.

He doesn’t get to sort through his emotions, he just goes in emergency mode again and the emergency just gives a yank to his emotions. I suppose the intent was “situation makes Dean realize he doesn’t want to lose Cas/he was wrong at making Cas the emotional scapegoat of his anger” but I don’t think it really worked. Dean was grieving and experiencing one of the most severe traumatic things in his life (actually, multiple at the same time). There’s no “right” or “wrong” in his emotions. I’m not saying that grief/trauma gives you a free card to be mean to others but… I mean, it does?? I think we’ve sort of created a culture of yelling “that’s abusive!!” at what are normal human experiences and expect that a person should act “properly” at all times. There’s a refrain of “x experience explains the behavior of y but doesn’t justify it!” which, sure, is valid with certain kinds of behavior, but there’s a whole jumble of normal human experiences in between “good” behavior and unjustifiable behavior.

Maybe I’m just culturally Catholic to the core, but all this pressure on Dean to beg for forgiveness for being harsh to Cas feels… iffy to me.

I guess I see forgiveness a bit differently, too, because I don’t think forgiveness - and especially when and how quickly you get there - is a choice. If Dean wasn’t emotionally ready to forgive Cas and open up emotionally to him again, then making him feel guilty for not being quick enough to get there is not exactly my idea of a healthy process.

Then there’s the “you didn’t stop me”, which, I get the whole thing behind it - Cas’ deepest fear is that Dean doesn’t care if he leaves, Dean’s deepest fear is that Cas is better off if he leaves, so, draaaama~~. But Dean has a history of people leaving him and feeling he can’t (isn’t worth) ask them to stay instead. Sure, it’s good drama. But I’m not sure that the narrative is allowing the space for understanding that Dean needs the emotional security of feeling like he’s worth to ask to stay just like Cas needs the emotional security of feeling like he has a place where he belongs and isn’t just a guest.

Again, I think it would be unfair to draw judgement of a narrative that is ongoing, and I hope that my fears are unfounded and the narrative will address what I wish it addresses! Of course with a little less than half a season still to go, emotional conflicts and character development can’t be wrapped up yet.

Another point you bring up is Dean’s reluctance to express his dissenting opinion. I do not think we have a pattern yet - his acceptance of Sam’s decision not to trap Chuck was intended, I guess, as a moment of growth in the sense that he acknowledged that Sam is a grown adult capable of drawing his judgement and make informed decisions, so he trusts Sam’s judgement and doesn’t drill him with questions. We still have to see how they all react to Jack’s revelation about Billie’s plan, so I would say to wait and see about that. Dean’s face at the end is not a “well this is excellent news” face, nor is Sam’s (who is framed after Jack talks about getting stronger, which is something Sam has a history with). Considering this season brought Lilith back, I’m sure they haven’t forgotten about Sam’s demon blood arc... I do wonder if Dean will avoid getting too confrontational with Cas, though. We’ll see.

Now, you say that he seems “superfluous to the plot”. I would normally say, well of course he’s superfluous to the plot, he’s the protagonist, he’s the one that reacts to the plot that happens around him. But I understand this is not the kind of answer you’re looking for. Honestly, I might be wrong, but I think that the first roughly-half of the season is the Male Part. The second part of the season should be the Female Part. In the first part, Chuck is rampant, Billie’s plan is dormant, Amara is minding her business and not being relevant to the plot, the plot is Sam-heavy, Rowena dies and reverts to playing a game of power, Mary is dead, Eileen is a piece played by Chuck. Now, with Billie’s plan being put in motion (although I don’t believe that’s the endgame or a Good Thing™ in unquestioning terms, but it’s still Death entering the game), I think a new phase should start. Dean confronting Chuck was already a start, and also how they got some support from a female deity that expressed negative opinions about Chuck -- I think that we’ve entered the second part of the season, and things are going to change. I’m looking forward to see what will be Amara’s role in all of this... especially considering that’s inextricably related to Dean’s role.

Feel free to ask for any clarification or addition or argument!!

#anon #my spn thoughts #spn meta #spn 15x09 #spn 15x10 #spn 15x11 #dean #dean and sam #dean and cas #dean and garth #spn

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higginbothampublications · 3 years

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Book Bits: “A Bit of a Pickle” Chapter Five

Book Bits: "A Bit of a Pickle" Chapter Five

Thank you for joining me for Book Bits. In this episode, we will begin to read the book "A Bit of a Pickle" by Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue. This is the second book in the Simmons Series.

Enjoy!

A BIT OF A PICKLE

WRITTEN BY NICOLE HIGGINBOTHAM-HOGUE

COPYRIGHTED BY NICOLE HIGGINBOTHAM-HOGUE

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

CHAPTER FIVE Gertie sat at the restaurant, chewing on her steak and moving her potatoes back and forth with her spoon. Edna had tried to get her to order something a bit healthier, but when Gertie refused, Edna gave in right away. Gertie was sure that her wife's lack of determination had something to do with the fact that she wanted her to meet Fredrick, and despite Gertie's thoughts on the situation, she decided to give the man a chance. Gertie listened as Edna and Fredrick conversed about their childhoods and various aspects of their lives. She still didn't trust the other man, and she wanted to make sure that if he lied to her wife, she would be able to catch it.

"So, you grew up in Missouri?" Edna asked, a light in her eyes as she looked at Fredrick.

"I did," Fredrick replied. "We didn't have much money, so when I got a bit older, I decided that I was going to get a job so that I could help my mother out with the expenses."

"Wow, how old were you?" Edna inquired, clearly impressed.

"I was sixteen when I began to work, and I was eighteen when I got the job here," Fredrick told her. "It took years for me to get into the position that I am currently in, but I was able to use my income to take care of both me and my mother until she passed."

"That's very admirable of you," Gertie commented, looking the man over closely as he spoke.

"Well, thank you, Gertie," Fredrick replied. "I try to do right now and again."

"It shows," Edna said, gesturing around her. "I mean, look at this place. The hotel is beautiful, and I'm sure that it takes quite a bit of work to keep up with it. And on top of that, you are such a gentleman. I mean, the first thing that you did when we met was to get my bag for me, and now, you're taking my wife and I out to dinner. You just have a great amount of respect for your job and the people around you, and it makes me happy to call you my brother."

"Well, I do appreciate that," Fredrick smiled. "And there was no way that I was going to let you carry your own bag. I am a gentleman after all, and now that I know that you are family, I'm inclined to do more."

"What do you mean?" Gertie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I mean that I would like to do something for you two," Fredrick said, stroking his chin. "I just found out that we were related, and I have gone so many years without a family. I don't have any kids, and my mother is gone, so I thought that I might discuss something with you two."

"Like what?" Gertie inquired.

"Like maybe buying you a timeshare up in these parts," Fredrick replied. "I would like to see you gals again if I could, and I feel like owning a timeshare would give you two the flexibility to travel up here whenever you wanted."

"That would be wonderful," Edna smiled. "I've always wanted one of those. It's almost like having your own vacation home."

"It pretty much is like that," Fredrick replied. "And having a timeshare would save more money in the long run. You wouldn't have to pay for hotel rooms, and you would be able to cook so that you didn't have to waste money on take-out. Also, you would be able to use it more than once a year, so we would be able to see each other more."

"You know," Gertie said, eyeing the man closely. "This all sounds good, but what's the catch? You don't usually just meet a person that is willing to buy you a timeshare. I know that you haven't had much time in your life to get to know Edna, but it's a little extreme, and what kind of information would you need from us to do this?"

"I wouldn't need much information," Fredrick replied. "I'd probably need the basics like a copy of both of your licenses, and I would need your social security numbers, but that is all quite routine. Besides that, I might need your address and phone number, and I should be able to file the paperwork right away."

"I don't even know you," Gertie laughed. "And now you think that I'm just going to hand over my license and give you my social security number?"

"Well, you could come with me," Fredrick stated. "The application process only takes a couple of hours."

"A couple of hours!" Gertie exclaimed. "I don't think so. I think that I will just do everything the old-fashioned way, and if Edna wants to come up here to visit you, then we can get a hotel room. Besides, I don't really feel comfortable having a stranger buy me a timeshare. It all just seems a little odd to me."

"I'm sorry if I offended you," Fredrick replied, disappointed. "I really was just trying to do something nice. I don't have any other family members that I know of, and I don't see the reason in sitting on the money I have if I can make my sister's life a little better."

"You're so sweet," Edna smiled, looking at Fredrick. "Gertie, can't we just let him do this? It seems like it means a lot to him?"

"No," Gertie said, standing her ground. Fredrick might have her wife wrapped around his finger, but he certainly didn't have her convinced.

"Well, then when will we see him next?" Edna inquired. "We are only here for a few days, and I would really like to spend more time with him. There are so many things that we don't know about each other. We have years of catching up to do."

Gertie grumbled. She didn't want to take the wind out of her wife's sails, but she wasn't comfortable with the timeshare idea, and she certainly didn't want to spend a large amount of money on hotel fees visiting Missouri on a consistent basis. "How about we invite Fredrick to stay with us the next time that he is in town?" Gertie suggested. "I'm sure that he has vacation time, and that would give you a chance to spend more time with him without costing either party an extensive amount of money."

"That would be so nice," Edna said, clapping her hands together. "Fredrick, what do you think?”

"Well, I would hate to be an imposition," Fredrick stated. "But I do have some vacation time, and I could probably afford to use it."

"You wouldn't be an imposition at all," Edna replied. "I would love to show you our town. Sanders is rather beautiful this time of year, and I'm sure that my friends would love to meet you. Will you at least think about it?"

Fredrick looked at Edna and finally nodded. "I will," he said. "But in return, will you gals please consider my offer? It would be nice to know that I could see you even during the time that I can't get off work, and since you are retired, I know that you have more flexibility in traveling."

"I don't..." Gertie began to say, but Edna kicked her in the shin.

"Yes, we will consider your offer, Fredrick," Edna replied.

"Thank you," Fredrick smiled.

Gertie held her tongue for the remainder of the dinner. Edna and Fredrick talked for an hour more, eventually ending their visit and parting ways. As they got into the elevator that led to their room, Gertie looked over at Edna, noticing how happy her wife looked. She could feel a sense of peace coming from the other woman, and though there were still questions about the man that she had just met, she kept them to herself. She knew that she didn't have to agree to the timeshare at this point, and she was sure that Edna was satisfied with her offer to let Fredrick stay with them on his vacation. But the one thing that kept Gertie at ease was that she was sure that the whole thing was a sham, and she was also confident in the fact that she wouldn't ever see Fredrick again as soon as they left Missouri.

About the Author

Growing up in a small town, Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue spent a majority of her time reading and writing, so when she was granted the opportunity to write full-time, she didn't have to think twice. Since beginning her writing career, she has managed to pen several lesbian romances, while adding a little action and adventure to spice things up. As a newly graduated MBA student, she plans to use her recently discovered free time to craft the art that she loves. For more information on Nicole's new releases or to find out what she has been working on, sign-up for her newsletter at higginbothampublications.com.

Also by Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue

Jems and Jamz

Don't Tell Me Twice

A Second Chance

To the Beat of Their Own Drum

Finding a Voice

A Fan to Remember

Aspiring Affection

A Stepping Stone

The Jems and Jamz Series: Books 1-2

The Jems and Jamz Series: Books 3-4

The Jems and Jamz Series: Books 5-7

The Jems and Jamz Series Boxset

Simmons Series

A Brief Debacle

A Bit of a Pickle

The Catnip Conundrum

The Simmons Series: Books 1-2

The Avery Detective Series

Sentiment to the Heart

Heart's Content

Complicated Heart

Thank you for joining me for this episode of Book Bits. Stay tuned for the next installment, and until then, be safe and well.

#lesfic humor writing

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talesofmundanemagic · 7 years

Text

Gertie and Bridget join a club

“COME JOIN THE MAGIC CLUB,” read big, bold letters on a flyer pinned to the dorm bulletin board, impossible for Gertie to miss even before her morning tea.

Meeting in faculty sponsor Mr. Jerson’s room, Haste 209, Fridays from 4-5. Don’t have to bring anything but yourselves! Sincerely, Club President Charlie Nessing.

***

Gertie managed to drag Bridget and Ernest along with her to the meeting, while Vivien came willingly.

“It’s those guys who beat up Jodie and Nick and their group,” Ernest said. “Do we really need more bullies in our lives?”

“Maybe there will be others who are interested in magic,” Gertie argued. “Wouldn’t it be nice to have more friends?”

Gertie wore a black, wide-brimmed hat that she wore to functions where entertainment was key. The flyer didn’t state to bring any magical demonstrations, but she figured it wouldn’t hurt.

As they walked, she practiced releasing colorful sparks from her hands, using the powers granted to her by the hat. She even managed to shape them into a heart before they fizzled away.

Some other students were in Mr. Jerson’s room already - a few that Gertie recognized, but most she had never seen. Gertie ignored the urge to sit in her assigned seat, and sat in the front row with her friends.

“Nice to see you here,” Mr. Jerson, her Potion’s teacher, said to her, his smile wrinkling the corners of his eyes.

Gertie nodded, nervous energy coming out in drumbeats from her fingertips.

More students filtered in as the clock ticked on. Marissa Hanler, a straight A student, came and sat in front, begging to be noticed by Mr. Jerson. Darryl Fudin, another classmate, came in and sat behind Gertie.

“I thought you’d be here too,” he said with a grin.

“I didn’t know you would!” she said, pleased that her potions tutoring had seemed to actually plant a seed of interest in magic.

“I mean, I have plenty of time in my schedule,” he said sarcastically. “What’s one more after-school activity? I can sneak pizza into the computer lab so I don’t have to eat while running to football practice.”

All together, the club consisted of about twenty-five members. Gertie beamed. There were so many people interested in magic! Who knew?

Then came two of the new students Ernest had worried about: Peter and Faye Nessing. Faye quickly chose a desk off to the side. She placed her backpack underneath, pulled out a book, opened to a bookmark and started reading. Bridget frowned. An animal anatomy textbook? What high school freshman needed to know that?

“Peter, good to see you,” Mr. Jerson said. “Where’s your brother?”

The tall senior slicked back his hair - still wet from swim practice - and shrugged. “I’m sure he’s coming, sir. We can probably start introductions without him?”

Mr. Jerson nodded his approval.

Peter stood at the front of the class.

“Hi, everyone. Thank you for coming. My name is Peter Nessing, and I’m the Vice President of the Magic Club.” He fidgeted with a charm on a leather necklace. “Let’s see. I’m a senior. My siblings and I just started school here last week. Fun fact about me is that I’ve been accepted to Wespire University on a swimming scholarship - I’m on the swim team here too - and I’m going to study Business. How about we-”

The classroom’s phone pealed, loud and irritating, until Mr. Jerson answered it.

“Yes?”

He listened for a moment, his hand gripping the receiver harder and harder as the person on the other side spoke to him.

“I’ll be right there,” he said. He stood and addressed the club. “There’s a little...problem in the healer’s office. They need some help brewing a proper potion.”

Mr. Jerson hesitated, trying to decide if he should tell the students to leave.

“I can handle it, sir,” Peter said. “We’ll just do introductions and take down some suggestions for club activities.”

Mr. Jerson nodded. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

As soon as he left, there was murmuring about what could be going wrong in the healer’s office.

“Jodie Migaran threw up in fifth period,” someone whispered. “I wonder if it could have anything to do with that?”

“What? Nick did too. He seriously looked green!”

“Ok, everyone.” Peter held up his hands. “There’s no reason to speculate. As I was saying-”

Suddenly Charlie, the middle Nessing sibling, burst into the room.

“I need help!” he shouted.

“What?” Peter frowned. He looked over his brother as he came to the front of the class, searching for injury. “What’s wrong?”

Charlie pulled his backpack off his shoulder. He unzipped it and turned it over, dumping notebooks, pencils, and a strange golden box onto the demonstration table in the front of the classroom.

The box was tied with twine that glimmered with an enchantment. It was clearly the only thing keeping the box closed, as the flip lid struggled to open, rattling ominously.

“What is it?” someone asked.

“I don’t know!” Charlie’s eyes were wide and panicked. He gestured to the box wildly. “It was just...in my suitcase! I was unpacking and it just started shaking!”

“What’s the string?” Darryl asked.

“Just some store-bought trap twine.” Charlie pushed his thick rimmed glasses up his nose. “It’s all I had. The enchantment’s not going to hold very long.”

The box jumped into the air, the lid struggling against the twine.

“What’s in there?” Peter got closer to the box, staring at it.

“I have no idea!”

“Have you tried a Sparkness circle?” Vivien asked. “It’s a good generic containment spell.”

“Of course I tried that already.” Charlie rolled his eyes. “My parents invented it.”

“Your parents what?” Gertie repeated.

“They work at Sparkslab,” Peter supplied. “Well, they did until recently. Our dad quit to run for Mayor. They’ve invented tons of stuff.”

A student reached to peek into the box, curious about what was inside. The box opened as far as it could given the twine, and orange goop sprayed all over the place, covering the student and those behind him.

“Uck! What is this?” the student sniffed at his shirt and made a face.

“I know, it’s gross!” Charlie wrinkled his nose. “I was able to get it off with some nail polish remover I borrowed from one of my floor-mates.”

Those hit with the sludge left, struggling to wipe off the stickiness with towels from the potions lab, smelling like overripe fruit.

“You know…” Marissa stood, grabbing her backpack. “This isn’t what I signed up for. Not when Mr. Jerson didn’t even mention anything about extra credit. I have homework to do. Good luck with the box.”

She hurried out of the classroom, following the other students.

Vivien traced over one of the symbols etched into the gold side of the box. “Wait, I know this!” she said. She pulled her laptop from her bag and started searching. “It’s a newer magical dialect. I researched it when looking into homunculi.”

“Homunculi?” Charlie repeated.

Vivien nodded, oblivious to his approval.

Gertie looked over her shoulder, kneeling next to her desk. “We can translate it. Maybe it’s a spell that will help?”

Charlie nodded. “Please, anything.”

The box rattled in place, as if it was worried it was being forgotten.

“I wonder what’s even in there,” Bridget mused. “If it could cause us danger, I would think I’d see a vision of it.”

“Did you say ‘vision’?” Peter asked.

Bridget flushed, annoyed she had let it slip. The other students, debating what to do with the box, didn’t seem to notice. “Yeah. I sometimes get visions,” she said.

“That’s amazing!” Peter said.

To his surprise, Bridget shrugged and pulled out her phone, seemingly disinterested in coming up with a way to make the box safe.

“If there’s something alive in there, maybe I can calm it down,” Ernest said. He started to whistle a tune, and the box started rattling harder.

It wasn’t the only thing. Faye’s backpack starting jumping into the air.

“What’s that?” Darryl asked. “A magic backpack?”

The flap fell open revealing a rabbit with his ears pointed toward Ernest. It stumbled forward, its back leg in a cast.

“No!” Faye said. Her voice sounded odd, like it was laced with magic. Bridget watched with her enchanted eye as one of her bracelets sparked. She had recognized one of the girl’s necklaces as having a charm to talk to dogs. Could she also talk to bunnies?

“You get back here!” Faye ordered the rabbit, as it hopped to Ernest. It stopped and turned back toward her ruefully, but it didn’t budge.

“Faye,” Peter said, a warning in his voice. “I thought you weren’t supposed to bring him to class anymore.”

“I’m almost finished healing him,” Faye grumbled.

Ernest stopped his whistling, and the rabbit turned back to glare up at him, wanting him to finish.

“Then I’ll put him back in the forest.” She picked up the rabbit and put him on her desk. “Stay here.”

It pouted, but laid down on its front paws, its ears and nose twitching in annoyance.

The box continued to clatter ominously.

Ernest frowned, and started whistling a different tune. There was a click as the box’s two clips flipped down. The box shook, but the lid wasn’t cracking open anymore.

“Nice job!” Charlie said. “You’re the Yilnog right? I saw you in the yearbook.”

“Yeah.” Ernest shrugged. He didn’t get along with the rest of his family, despite its fame as one of the oldest magical clans. It rivaled even Gertie and Bridget’s, the Mallons.

“It’s good to meet you!” Charlie smiled. “Music magic is a wonderful specialty. Good choice! You know your stuff.”

Ernest didn’t know if he’d ever heard someone compliment his skills like that before. He smiled hesitantly and nodded at Charlie.

At the first success with the box, the other students seemed to relax. They started chatting amongst each other, trading their histories with magic and their skills.

“Done!” Gertie announced, holding up the notebook that she and Vivien had been translating the box spells into. A couple club members glanced over it, admiring their work.

“Should we try it?” Vivien asked.

The box shook, daring her to.

Charlie nodded. “Maybe it’ll shut it up.”

Vivien gestured that Gertie should cast the spell.

Gertie waved her hands over the box, reading from the notebook, summoning the magical energy she had stored in her various keychain accessories.

At the last word, the clips flipped back up and the box lid opened, breaking the twine that had somewhat contained it.

“Uh oh,” Gertie said.

It released a puff of smoke, filling the room with the noxious smell of burnt sugar. Peter tackled the box, slamming the lid shut, but the damage was done.

The other students started coughing, all clamoring to escape the room.

Including Darryl. “Sorry guys,” he coughed, fleeing.

“I can fix this!” Gertie shouted, pulling her t-shirt over her nose and mouth to filter out the smoke.

She searched through the cabinets over Mr. Jerson’s desk until she found a glass cup. It had a symbol etched into the side for “clean,” in a magical language. It was used to clear a room of any airborne potions - and this was close enough.

She held her hand in front of the symbol and said, “Begin” in its magical language.

The smoke cleared from the room, swirling away and disappearing into the cup.

“I really should get myself one of these,” Gertie said, coughing up the last of the smoke.

“Where did you get this box?” Vivien asked, wiping away tears from the smell.

Charlie just shrugged, looking mystified. “It was just...there. In my luggage.”

“It’s a joke,” Bridget suddenly said, standing up. She held out her phone.

Magical A-Musings presents the Caper Carton! Confound your friends! Trick your enemies! It rattles, it shakes, it slimes and it smokes! While perfectly harmless, it is the most irritating riddle your victims will come across. Want to end the madness for them? Just press the hidden button in the back to reveal it was empty the whole time!

Bridget walked up to the box and scratched her nails against its back until she found the hidden compartment diagramed on the website. She flipped it open and pressed the bright red button.

The rattling stopped. Bridget opened the lid of the box, and nothing happened. Just as the advertisement said, it was empty.

“So who tricked you?” Bridget asked, looking up at Charlie.

“No one,” Charlie mumbled. “I just...I found it. But thanks.” He nodded. “Really, thank you. I wouldn’t have thought to look it up. It seemed like an artifact.”

The silence stretched on until Peter clapped his hands together. “Well, I think that wraps up our first club meeting,” he said. “I’ll send out an email and hope that anybody comes back.”

“Will you?” Charlie asked Bridget, Gertie, Vivien and Ernest.

Bridget was hesitant, but Ernest broke into a wide grin. “Yeah! This was fun!”

Gertie nodded along. “We’ll definitely be back.”

***

After everyone left, Charlie gathered up the box and the discarded twine.

“That’s the first time anyone’s figured out it was a cheap gag,” Charlie mumbled.

Peter nodded. “But, come on, it wasn’t that bad,” he said. “We found some talented classmates. I think we could have a lot of fun while we’re here. And two Mallons and a Yilnog? We hit the jackpot.”

“There’s something great about this pit of a school after all,” Charlie agreed. “If they can be persuaded to bend the rules.”

Faye picked up the rabbit, holding him in one hand and her textbook in the other. “You guys need to be more careful. The Potions teacher probably knows that someone magicked those bullies to be sick. He’ll be on the lookout for who.”

“They deserved it,” Charlie muttered. “Magicaless oafs.”

“If you get in trouble again and it gets back to dad, we’ll never hear the end of it,” Faye warned.

Peter scoffed. “We don’t make trouble, it finds us.”

Charlie smirked. “For now.”

#gertie and bridget #nessing siblings #clubs #school #writing #tales of mundane magic #tomm

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milliebobbybrownfan · 7 years

Text

New Post has been published on Millie Bobby Brown Fan #MillieBobbyBrown #StrangerThings

New Post has been published on http://millie-bobby-brown.com/photosvideo-millie-for-teen-vogue/

Photos/Video: Millie for Teen Vogue

Millie will be featured in the new issue of Teen Vogue. I will work on getting actual scans. In the meantime check out the accompanied fun video, the digital cover, and the photoshoot from the spread. Enjoy.

Millie Bobby Brown and Drew Barrymore Open Up About Instant Fame and Family

Last year, we were introduced to the now 13-year-old saucer-eyed actress who plays the enigmatic Eleven with brilliance. This year, we’ve witnessed her meteoric rise and wondered, What is Millie all about? Drew Barrymore digs in.

DREW BARRYMORE: Millie! Where are you right now?

MILLIE BOBBY BROWN: I’m in Atlanta, sitting in a chair, putting in hair extensions for my new movie, [the next installment of] Godzilla.

DB: Dude, I feel you! I’ve been in so many chairs with so many extensions on so many movie sets. When going from short hair to long hair, my whole attitude changes.

MBB: It’s crazy! But I do feel more confident when I have short hair. After shaving it off for Stranger Things, I just embraced it as much as possible. It was so freeing.

DB: I love Stranger Things. It’s full circle for me because it harks back to me playing Gertie in E.T. Both are about the sense of family, humanity, and suburbia. And both are so grounded in relatability. And you talk about space and aliens and the improbable and the impossible.

MBB: Yeah! E.T. was a huge reference point for the show. They wanted me to feel like an alien but also have genuine relationships, like the one with Mike.

DB: The auditioning process is so raw and vulnerable. What was your audition like for Stranger Things?

MBB: It was slow at first. Then it went super fast. I had four audition tapes with all different scenes. It was a good three weeks before I Skyped with the series’ creators, the Duffer Brothers.

DB: Oh, wow. Then what happened?

MBB: We talked about ’80s movies. And I didn’t know anything about Eleven at that point, and they were referencing E.T. And I was like, “Wait, what? I’m an alien now?” I was so confused on what the story was about. A week later, I flew to L.A. for the job. I screen-tested with Finn Wolfhard, who plays Mike, and met the creators. I immediately fell in love with the project. I needed to play Eleven. And I connected with Finn. Later, the Duffer Brothers called and asked if I could be their Eleven. I was like, “Oh, yes! Yes, I can!”

DB: Eleven doesn’t talk much. How are you two alike?

MBB: She’s the opposite of me! I’m crazy and very loud. That’s why I love her so much, because I get to play a different person as soon as they call, “Action!”

DB: You mentioned the chemistry you had with Finn. What about the other guys? What’s the dynamic on set?

MBB: We’re a family. We are all growing up together. We constantly have laughing fits on set, which gets me in trouble. But it’s not me; it’s the boys! They’re hilarious.

DB: That’s what chemistry and growing up together is like! Speaking of family, what’s your family life like?

MBB: It’s really fun. I have a 19-year-old brother [Charley]; he’s my best friend. A five-year-old sister, Ava, who brings out the child in me. And then my older sister, Paige—she’s 23 and takes me everywhere. We do family things, like watch lots of movies and have family meetings about everything from schedules to getting a new dog.

DB: I grew up in a single-parent home where no one told me what was right or wrong. There was no parental gure. Do your parents talk to you about boundaries?

MBB: Of course. My mum helps me look my age. Like, I can play with makeup, but I can’t go crazy. She’s also like, “You can’t wear that crop top.” My dad is security, while my siblings take care of my eating, keep me grounded, and make sure I get rest. We are a team.

DB: That’s what chemistry and growing up together is like! Speaking of family, what’s your family life like?

DB: I grew up in a single-parent home where no one told me what was right or wrong. There was no parental gure. Do your parents talk to you about boundaries?

DB: Seems all-hands-on-deck! Family creates a safe place. Especially since everything changed overnight for you, like it did for me. But the difference is that you’re coming of age during the social media boom. What is that like?

MBB: I don’t mind growing up during this time. I can live without my phone, Instagram, or any other social media accounts. I just want to act. That stuff does not distract me.

DB: It’s Teen Vogue, so we must talk fashion! In the last decade, younger girls have prematurely aged themselves by how they dress. I didn’t dress crazy then, but I did crazy things. You dress so appropriate for your age.

MBB: I mean, I’ve never been one of those girls who dresses provocatively. It’s just not me. I keep it as appropriate as possible. I wear tons of shorts and sneakers.

DB: And you’re one of the new faces of Calvin Klein, right?

MBB: Yes! I’m modeling for Raf Simons at Calvin. I’m not a model in the sense that I pose and just suck it up. I’m like, “Uh, no” if something is itchy or not comfortable.

DB: You make a beautiful model. I love the way you express yourself in your face, and you have a beautiful pout and deep, soulful eyes. How do you get in the zone?

MBB: I don’t do anything specially. I ask what they’re looking for…something playful or serious. I love modeling, but it comes second to acting.

DB: You’re an extraordinary example to any actor. And you make girls feel like they can be youthful for as long as they want. No fast-tracking.

MBB: Most kids do what their friends are doing, like a domino effect. It’s normal. But I do my own thing.

DB: When did you feel like you’d made it?

MBB: Having someone like you, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Meryl Streep feel passionate about our show—that makes me feel like I did. Also winning at the SAG Awards, not only because I experienced it with my castmates and my family but because SAG members enjoyed the show.

DB: Have you done any strange things recently?

MBB: Good one. This interview is one of the stranger things that has happened to me! When I was told, “Drew Barrymore is going to interview you for Teen Vogue,” I was like, OMG! I was freaking out. I don’t know if you heard, but I’ve been trembling on the phone this whole time!

DB: Aw. As women, we just need to inspire each other.

MBB: We need to start a girl squad, like right now!

DB: I’ll be in your girl squad any day. I’m cheering you on.

MBB: This is probably one of the most exciting conversations I’ve ever had. It means so much.

DB: Me, too. And here’s my end note: Gertie loves Eleven.

MBB: Gertie loves Eleven! Oh, my goodness! – Source

youtube

2017: Teen Vogue 2017: Photo Session #016 2017: August 17 – Teen Vogue: Screencaps

#Photo Sessions #Photos #Press #Scans #Screencaps #Videos

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theguardian911 · 7 years

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Save A Life

Just a Few Weeks of Love Can Transform Rescued Pets Completely Our rescue pets rescue us Many people who adopt shelter animals often say, “I rescued him, but he really rescued me.” We provide our adopted pets with a forever home, and we try our best to help them feel cared for, safe, and loved for the rest of their lives. What we receive in return is a lightness of being, unanticipated moments of pure joy, and unconditional love of a kind we’ve never known. They seem to know we rescued them Another thing adoptive pet parents often say is, “It’s like she knows I saved her life.” Many previously homeless pets display what can only be described as endless gratitude to the person who rescued them. We become “theirs” – the center of their universe – and they don’t want us out of their sight. Many of these pets, even breeds and breed mixes not known for their trainability, seem to want above all else to please us and be our ideal animal companion. They blossom under our care Shelter pets typically arrive at their new forever homes stressed out, grubby, and often sore or in pain from a recent surgery or injury. After a few months of species-appropriate meals, regular brushing and bathing, proper veterinary care, and a consistent daily routine that includes plenty of exercise, playtime, and TLC, the positive change we see in our rescue pets is incredibly gratifying. It’s fun to learn their lineage Most shelter dogs are a mixture of breeds, and even dogs presumed to be purebred may not be. Many owners of rescues ultimately decide to do doggy DNA tests to learn which breeds are predominant in their pet’s lineage. This information can be useful in understanding more about your dog’s temperament and behavior. A shelter in California has begun doing the tests on some of their dogs to increase adoption rates. The shelter uses the DNA results to create cute “designer” breed names for a "Who's Your Daddy?" adoption campaign. They have hidden talents Many shelter pets have tremendous untapped potential. For example, a shy scaredy cat who lives under the bed for the first several weeks in her new home might, with the right encouragement, blossom into a social butterfly or a loving lap cat. And then there’s the story of Gertie and Winnie, two homeless dogs on the kill list at a shelter in Ireland who were rescued and went on to win agility competition honors in the famous Crufts Dog Show in the UK. Older rescues make wonderful companions Senior pets are often overlooked by potential adopters, which is sad because many of these animals wind up in shelters after losing the only family they’ve ever known. The wonderful people who have it in their heart to rescue an older animal talk about how happy they are to be able to give their pet a wonderful life in their senior years. And like so many rescues, senior pets in particular seem grateful to their adopters for loving and providing for them. They keep us in shape physically and emotionally Rescuing a shelter pet enriches our lives in ways both big and small. The unconditional love and loyalty of a dog or cat can lift depression, ease loneliness, lower blood pressure, and give us a reason to get up in the morning. A kitty asleep in your lap feels warm and comforting. A dog that loves to walk or run outdoors can be just the incentive you need to start exercising regularly. There are countless benefits to pet ownership, and when you know you saved your furry companion from an unpleasant fate, it makes the bond you share that much more meaningful. They come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and personalities There are plenty of animals to choose from at most shelters. They come in every age, shape, size, coat color, and breed mix, and you can find purebreds as well. TheGuardian

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higginbothampublications · 3 years

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Book Bits: “A Bit of a Pickle” Chapter Three

Book Bits: "A Bit of a Pickle" Chapter Three

Thank you for joining me for Book Bits. In this episode, we will begin to read the book "A Bit of a Pickle" by Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue. This is the second book in the Simmons Series.

Enjoy!

A BIT OF A PICKLE

WRITTEN BY NICOLE HIGGINBOTHAM-HOGUE

COPYRIGHTED BY NICOLE HIGGINBOTHAM-HOGUE

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

CHAPTER THREE "Ihave to pee," Edna said, stirring Gertie from her relaxing mindset. Gertie had been driving for what seemed like hours, and she was sure that they had to be close to their destination. "Can't you hold it?" she asked, looking around. There were no gas stations in sight, and the sun had started to set, making everything in the distance look like a dim gray outline.

"No, I have to go right now," Edna insisted. "Pull over."

"Edna, I told you to stop sipping on that camelback," Gertie replied. "It was a good gesture, but I knew that you would overdo it with the fluids."

"Well, maybe you were right," Edna replied. "But if you don't pull the car over, we are going to have to deal with a problem bigger than my excessive hydration."

"Fine," Gertie retorted, swinging the truck over to the side of the road. She wasn't fond of the idea of her wife urinating in public, but at this point, she saw no other choice. "Just hurry, Edna. This is a little embarrassing."

"Will do," Edna said, stripping off the camelback and flying through the passenger door.

Gertie sat in silence, looking around the truck as she did. The last thing that she wanted was for her wife to get arrested for indecent exposure.

"Oh no," a cry sounded from outside the truck.

Gertie looked and saw her wife running across the roadside with her undergarment flapping beneath her. "Edna Simmons!" Gertie lectured. "What on Earth are you doing?" Gertie waited for her wife to stop, but she just continued to run, and Gertie let out a deep sigh and got out of the truck to chase after her.

Running at full speed, Gertie caught up with her wife, who was panicked and screaming. "What's going on?" Gertie asked, looking to the roadside as a truck blared its loud horn.

"Look down," Edna cried. "It's tangled around my foot."

Gertie looked at Edna's foot and saw a long, dangling object. "Is that a snake?" Gertie inquired, trying to look closer.

"Yes," Edna cried. "Get it off of me."

Gertie looked around for a stick or any kind of object that would help her perform the grueling task and finally found a large branch that had fallen from a nearby tree. "Hold still," she commanded as she brought the stick closer to Edna, who was now taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself down. Gertie slowly edged the stick closer, preparing for the snake to fight back, but the operation went smoothly, and Gertie managed to extract the small creature without any backlash. "There," Gertie said, grinning at her wife. "Now, do you want to pull up your drawers. Those truckers over there have been getting quite the show."

"Well, I'm glad that I could be their source of entertainment," Edna grumbled. "Because that snake damn near scared me."

Gertie smiled at her wife and looked over at the snake on the end of the stick that she was holding, but the snake wasn't moving at all. "Are you sure that this is a snake?" Gertie asked, squinting and bringing the object closer to her face.

"Be careful, Gertie," Edna warned. "It might bite."

"I think that I will be okay," Gertie mused, a look of recognition on her face. "This isn't a snake, Edna. It's a piece of a tire."

"Don't lie to me like that, Gertie," Edna told her. "It's not nice."

"No really," Gertie grinned. "It really is a tire. Look." Gertie picked up the long material at the end of the stick with her bare fingers, wiggling it in front of her wife.

"No kidding," Edna sighed. "This whole time I was running from a piece of rubber?"

"Only you," Gertie smiled, throwing the piece of material into the wind. "Now, come on. We need to get there before the sun is completely gone. I don't have the best of night vision."

"Alright," Edna said. "But next time that I have to go to the bathroom, we are stopping somewhere. I don't think that I could handle having another experience like the one that we just had."

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image.png GERTIE ROLLED INTO the hotel parking lot and stopped the car. She couldn't see her surroundings at this point, but she knew that something was different. The air had grown cooler as they neared the city, and there were some signs that indicated that there might be mountains around them. Gertie got out of the truck, stretching her legs and walked to the other side to help her wife out. She was ready for a good rest after such a long drive, and she knew that as soon as she got their luggage inside, she was free to relax.

"Gertie, can you grab the bags?" Edna asked, yawning. "I'll go inside and check in."

"Sounds good to me," Gertie replied. She really wasn't in the mood to hold a conversation with anyone at the front desk, and the idea of just being able to go straight to her room put a smile on her face.

Edna smiled and walked into the hotel, and Gertie waited for her wife to enter before turning her attention back to the task at hand. She wasn't looking forward to carrying Edna's bags. Her wife had gotten a bit excited and gone overboard with the packing, and Gertie knew that it would be a struggle carry them all in one trip. Nevertheless, Gertie wasn't one to give up that easily. Where there was a will, there was a way, and she knew that if she could get all of the bags up to the room, she wouldn't have to come downstairs until morning.

Gertie opened the door to the cab of the truck, backing up as a group of bags bounced out of the truck and onto the ground. Edna had definitely overpacked. Gertie shook her head at the mess, knowing that she should just get the task over with and began to pile the bags on her arms. She had just about gotten every one of them, when she noticed a small bag in the back of the truck. "Dang it," Gertie said, wondering how she was going to get it, but at that moment, she noticed a dark shape by the trash receptacle and her mind was at ease. "Sir," Gertie called towards the stranger. She didn't usually like to ask for help, but at this point, she saw no other option. "Sir," Gertie called again, but the stranger didn't respond.

Gertie struggled with her bags, trying to inch closer to the mute stranger, hoping to get a response. "Sir, I know that you are probably busy, but I just wanted to ask you if you would help me with my bags. You see, my wife overpacked, and though I've managed to get a majority of her belongings, I can't reach the little bag that is deep in the cab of my truck."

Gertie watched as the man came closer but thought it odd when she saw the gentleman lower himself to his hands and knees.

"Never mind, sir," Gertie said, wondering what kind of lunatic she had just contracted to help her. The man was beginning to creep her out a little, and she certainly didn't want to pick up any weirdos while they were out of town.

But the burly man kept coming towards her on all fours, halting just a few steps in front of her. Gertie squinted her eyes in the moonlight, hoping to get a good look at the gentleman in case she had to report him to the authorities later for some sort of crime, but as her eyes focused in the dark setting, she realized that the person in front of her wasn't a man. In fact, she hadn't been talking to a person at all. Instead, the recipient of her communication was in fact a black bear, and the animal didn't look very happy.

"Oh," Gertie squeaked, not knowing what to do. She debated whether she should run into the truck or if she should just stay right where she was. "Sorry to bother you," Gertie said to the bear, hoping that the animal would back off and leave her alone. "I didn't mean to interrupt your dinner."

The bear looked at her blankly, and Gertie stared back, wondering if this was her final moment. She took a large gulp as the bear began to move and sighed as the large animal walked away from her and back to its trash can. Gertie closed the doors of the truck quietly, the bags in her hands and inched her way toward the front doors of the hotel. Edna would have to wait for her last bag until morning. There was no way that Gertie was going back.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of Book Bits. Stay tuned for the next installment, and until then, be safe and well.

About the Author

Also by Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue

Jems and Jamz

Don't Tell Me Twice

A Second Chance

To the Beat of Their Own Drum

Finding a Voice

A Fan to Remember

Aspiring Affection

A Stepping Stone

The Jems and Jamz Series: Books 1-2

The Jems and Jamz Series: Books 3-4

The Jems and Jamz Series: Books 5-7

The Jems and Jamz Series Boxset

Simmons Series

A Brief Debacle

A Bit of a Pickle

The Catnip Conundrum

The Simmons Series: Books 1-2

The Avery Detective Series

Sentiment to the Heart

Heart's Content

Complicated Heart

Thank you for joining me for this episode of Book Bits. I look forward to seeing you next time.

#lesfic book reading

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higginbothampublications · 3 years

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Book Bits: "A Bit of a Pickle" Chapter One

Book Bits: "A Bit of a Pickle" Chapter One Thank you for joining me for Book Bits. In this episode, we will begin to read the book "A Bit of a Pickle" by Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue. This is the second book in the Simmons Series.

Enjoy!

A BIT OF A PICKLE

WRITTEN BY NICOLE HIGGINBOTHAM-HOGUE

COPYRIGHTED BY NICOLE HIGGINBOTHAM-HOGUE

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

CHAPTER ONE "What's this?" Gertie asked, looking down at the bowl of salad that her wife had put in front of her. "I thought that I told you to go to the store and get something nice for yourself."

"I did," Edna beamed. "I was watching one of those cooking shows the other day, and I saw them make a beautiful salad, and after they told me how beneficial salad could be for your heart and other bodily functions, I thought that we might start a new trend of eating better."

"Don't involve me in your trends," Gertie replied. "I'm happy with my steak and potatoes, and what is this dandelion doing in here?"

"They're edible," Edna smiled. "Did you know that? People put flowers in their salads all of the time, so I thought that it would be nice to add a little color to your plate."

"Well, some of these 'flowers' that you put in here look like weeds," Gertie complained, noticing the familiar culprits looked similar to the flowery weeds that she had been trying to get rid of in the backyard.

"They're not weeds," Edna replied. "They are flowers, and I didn't even have to pay the high prices at the store for them. I know how you like to save money, so I just picked them from the backyard."

"Oh boy," Gertie said, smacking her hand against her head. "So, these are weeds. Edna, I thought I told you to tone it down on watching so much of that cable television. You get these ideas, and then, you expect me to embrace them, but I'm happy with my life just the way that it is."

"Gertie, you told me that you were going to try new things from now on," Edna frowned. "Were you just pulling my leg? I spent hours making this wonderful dinner for you, and now you don't even want to eat it. I don't get you sometimes."

"Fine," Gertie said, picking out a few stray flowers from the top of her salad. "I'll eat this stuff, but I'm only doing it for you."

"I knew that you would like it," Edna grinned. "We are about to be two very healthy individuals."

"Healthy smealthy," Gertie mumbled under her breath, appeasing her wife by taking a bite out of the salad that she had made.

"What's that?" Edna inquired.

"Nothing dear," Gertie said, trying to choke down the green-ridden food that her wife was calling a meal. Gertie could feel her stomach churn as she took each bite. She wasn't sure if she was going to make it through this meal, but she kept trying in an effort to make her wife happy.

"Well, dear," Edna started. "Now, that we are seated and enjoying each other's company, I wanted to talk to you about something."

Gertie sighed, wondering what her wife had on her mind this time. "What's that?"

"Well, recently I took this DNA test," Edna stated. "It's one of those little tests that you can buy off of the television or on the Internet, and it tells you where you came from and who you are related to."

"Oh," Gertie replied. "And what planet did it tell you that you were from?"

"Gertie!" Edna lectured.

"Okay, okay," Gertie said. "I'm listening. Just get to the point of this conversation already."

"Okay, well when I got the test back, it said that I had a brother that I never knew about," Edna exclaimed excitedly. "Apparently, my father had a child before he married my mother, and he never told us about him."

"Congratulations," Gertie said. "Now, you know that there's a person out there that you've never met and never had any contact with, you can move on with your life."

"Gertie, don't be so cynical," Edna retorted. "I bet if you took the DNA test then you would find out a lot of interesting things about your roots as well."

"I'm not taking any DNA test," Gertie responded. "It seems like a conspiracy to me. Why is this kind of thing so highly advertised? What do they want with my DNA?"

"They are trying to connect people and bring them together," Edna replied. "And I agree with their mission. The world is so isolated as it is. We should know how we are alike and embrace it. In fact, I'm planning on embracing my new discovery. I've tracked down my brother. He lives in Missouri, and I have planned a trip for us to go down and meet him."

"Hold on," Gertie said. "First, you are telling me that we have to start eating grass for supper, and now, we are going halfway across the country to meet some guy who could just as well be a phony baloney that calls himself your brother?"

"I suppose when you put it like that, it doesn't sound too good, but quit being such a downer," Edna replied. "I was talking to Bonnie about this..."

"Bonnie?" Gertie grumbled. "What were you talking to that old bat about?"

"I told you," Edna replied. "The DNA test. In fact, she's the one that gave me the idea to do it in the first place."

"Of course, she did," Gertie replied. "Leave it up to Bonnie to give my wife wild ideas."

"It's not a wild idea when you think about it," Edna interjected. "Just think, there could be some guy out there that has never known a family of his own, and unless I meet him, he will never know that I even exist. What if he's sad and lonely? Don't you think that meeting me would change his life?"

"It will change something for sure," Gertie said. "His diet. His peace and quiet. But I'm not sure that the man that you are calling your brother is necessarily as in dire need of meeting you as you think that he is. He's probably happy. He didn't even know that you existed until now, and if you go out and meet him, you might bring up a whole side of his life that he never knew about, one that could negatively affect his views on your father and his family."

"Or I could make his life better," Edna argued. "Don't be so negative about this situation, Gertie. This could be good for us. At this point in our lives, it wouldn't hurt to have a little more family."

"Well, if you aren't going to give up on this idea, then I guess the only thing that I can do is give in," Gertie sighed. "But remember, I told you it wasn't a good idea."

"So, we're going?" Edna inquired, excitement filling her face. "I can't believe it! I've always wanted to travel. Who knew that this whole DNA situation would help me live out my dreams?"

"Yeah, who knew?" Gertie said, moving the leaves of her salad around with her fork. "If we're going out of town, does that mean that we can eat better food. I know that my body's probably saying salad now, but my stomach's definitely saying steak."

"We can eat whatever you want," Edna beamed. "I've got to pack. If you need me, I will be in the other room."

Gertie watched as her wife left the dinner table and waited for her departure before spooning her salad in the trash can. She had won the fight of getting her regular dinner back on the table, but she had lost the battle of staying home and enjoying her own company, and as her stomach grumbled, Gertie realized that their journey to see Edna's brother was going to be more than a quick trip. She hoped that the man was authentic and that her wife hadn't gotten tricked. Trust was a hard thing to find in the world, and the last thing that she needed was someone getting Edna's hopes up and then letting her down.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of Book Bits. Stay tuned for the next installment, and until then, be safe and well.

About the Author

Also by Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue

Jems and Jamz

Don't Tell Me Twice

A Second Chance

To the Beat of Their Own Drum

Finding a Voice

A Fan to Remember

Aspiring Affection

A Stepping Stone

The Jems and Jamz Series: Books 1-2

The Jems and Jamz Series: Books 3-4

The Jems and Jamz Series: Books 5-7

The Jems and Jamz Series Boxset

Simmons Series

A Brief Debacle

A Bit of a Pickle

The Catnip Conundrum

The Simmons Series: Books 1-2

The Avery Detective Series

Sentiment to the Heart

Heart's Content

Complicated Heart

#Book #lgbtqq #Reading

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theguardian911 · 7 years

Text

Why A Shelter Companion?

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