Excalcifate
v. to soften or remove a hard or stony exterior, esp. gradually
You're trying not to push her too hard. In some ways Amber has experienced more in her first twelve years than you did in your first twenty. There's no question in your mind that taking her in is the right thing to do. Still, you wish she would give you some indication of what she's feeling.
Amber came into your house three days ago. You asked if she liked her room. It was pretty plain, but you suggest that, when she's up to it, you two could shop for decorations. She shrugged and said nothing. That was fine.
The first breakfasts, lunches and dinners were uneventful. You'd open the door for small talk and receive shrugs and nods. Amber clears the table and washes her dishes without being asked. You thank her, and she nods. This is fine.
You try to check your expectations. She'll adjust at her own pace. No rush. In the meantime, you spend the evening curled up on the sofa watching primetime television on low volume with the captions on.
Then in the corner of your eye you see Amber enter the living room. She crosses in front of the TV, bowing her head as if to say "pardon me", then plants herself in the La-Z-Boy recliner. She's occupied with her phone.
"Can you turn it up?" she asks.
"Yeah, sure." You do. Then you take a breath. "Want me to change the channel or anything?"
"Nah, this is fine," punctuated by a brief, small smile.
About the Creator
Rebekah Conard
31, She/Her, a big bi nerd
How do I write a bio that doesn't look like a dating profile? Anyway, my cat is my daughter, I crochet and cross stitch, and I can't ride a bike. Come take a peek in my brain-space, please and thanks.
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More stories from Rebekah Conard and writers in Fiction and other communities.
She Was Emma
This story is part of the Vocal + Assist on Facebook Unreliable Narrator Challenge. You can learn more about it here: Always, she was Emma and I was Amy. We met in preschool and hit it off immediately. I reasoned that we needed to be friends because we were both 4 years old and our names sounded the same. She understood what I meant: the names Emma and Amy feel the same in your mouth. We were inseparable. Parents, teachers and friends referred to the two of us all at once: Emma'n'Amy. Emmanamy. Emma-and-Amy.
By Rebekah Conard6 months ago in Fiction
A Communist Daily Life
In the heart of a small rural village nestled among rolling hills and lush greenery, there once bloomed a fervent desire for equality. It was a desire born from the depths of hardship and fueled by the flames of injustice. This village, like many others across the land, had long suffered under the weight of inequality, where a few held power and wealth while the masses toiled in poverty.
By Daniel Daniela day ago in Fiction
Comments (28)
Beautiful writing.
The overall most well-done piece I've read on vocal so far. Brought tears to my eyes. You deserved this win!
Beautifully done. Reminds me of the many that my mother fostered, allowing them to stay as long as they wanted. Such a humane and kind approach to other side of life. Congrats on your win.
Congratulations, very nice work.
Wow, no doubt: this nailed the challenge. I have a great deal of admiration for your conciseness, and love this illustration of your word - it’s charming, emotionally layered and skates lightly over deep waters. Well done.
So much said in so few words. A touching story. Congrats on the win!
💜 How wholesome. "You try to check your expectations." I love how you brought attention to respecting boundaries without needing to say it. It was just understood that that was what this was shedding light on.
Congratulations! Such a deserving win. Well done👍🍁😄
Congratulations on the win! This was a lovely story. It was so sweet to see the relationship not being forced, just letting it be :)
Absolutely beautiful. Congratulations on your well-deserved win!
Very well paced and rich with a very deep story told in a sweet way, with nuanced narrative. Congratulations on your win 🏆
A perfect flash. A collaboration with, and trust of, the reader. So much packed into this small piece, into every sentence, the ‘this is fine’ ❤️. Congratulations on your win 👏
This is a worthy winner. Heartwarming and gentle. Congratulations.
Wonderful story! Congratulations.
This is a worthy winner. Heartwarming and gentle. Congratulations.
Congratulations!
This is lovely. Thank you for sharing it. It was a well-deserved win.
❤ this is heart-warmingly beautiful. Congratulations. 🥰
What a great word! Well done!
Congratulations on your win! This is such a sweet story!
Well deserved. Congratulations!
A LOT of depth and background packed into a small space. Congratulations on your win!
Congrats on the win. Well done.
Excellent effort! Keep up the superb work—congrats!s
Congratulations on the Win!!!