Teatime restored

Jules sat down listlessly at the dining table. Sleep wouldn't come to her again. Every day at 5 a.m., she woke up with a jolt—ever since her father passed away.
Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he had died early in the morning.

It had been five months. The shock of his sudden cardiac arrest had worn off, but the grief—it had no end. No respite.
She had returned to the office, offering herself and the family a semblance of routine. But it did nothing to ease her aching heart. She needed him every day. She missed him deeply.

She thought about their tea times—a ritual that had remained unchanged, even after she got married. Today, as always, she had made tea and automatically set out a second cup—his cup—his favorite one.
Memories surged. Before she could hold on to them, they all converged into that one moment. The moment everything was lost. The helplessness.
It shattered her again.

“I can’t do this,” she whispered, holding first her cup, then his. The old mug—a constancy since childhood.

“He loved you, you know,” a deep voice said.

She startled.
“Who... who spoke?”

“Why, it’s me of course, dear.”
The cup—his cup—had eyes. And a mouth.

“I’m hallucinating. You... you can’t be real!” she gasped, withdrawing her hands.

“That’s just how he reacted the first time too. And his father before him.”

“He knew about you? But... what? How?” Her voice trembled, words slipping away.

“Let me show you.”

And then, the cup shimmered—projecting memories across its glazed surface. Her father as a child. As a young man. Holding the same cup. Laughing. Thinking.
Her childhood—tea rituals with him. Quiet moments. Meaningful talks.
And finally—a special message:

“When the day comes that she finds out about you and I’m gone, do tell her how very proud I am of the woman she’s become. And how much I love her.”

Tears streamed down her face. But for the first time since he left, Jules felt something different.
Maybe she didn’t have to carry the grief alone.
Maybe—she could carry a part of him with her.

Maybe, just, maybe, she would be ok.

Reading between spaces

Trying some writing experiments these days based on specific prompts. Will avoid the prompt here to add a bit mystery:

Sally looked at Mark with a surprising sense of longing. They’d only met today, yet it felt like she’d always known him. There was a sparkle in his eyes, a softness in his voice, and a way he instinctively understood her—like he could read the spaces between her words.

He was the son of the owner of Words and Us, her favorite bookshop. But their first meeting hadn’t been intentional—they’d practically crashed into each other reaching for the same book: Onyx Storm.

“You read this too?” she asked, laughing as they both held onto the worn spine.

He smiled, boyish and charming. “Love the series. Can’t believe the author left us hanging like that—and now a break?”

She groaned. “It’s torture.”

Mark chuckled. “Hey, would you maybe want to… discuss the agony further over coffee? Or, sorry—tea?”

Her eyes widened slightly. “How’d you know I prefer tea?”

He shrugged with a sheepish grin. “Just a lucky guess.”

“There’s a tea café near here—Lavender’s,” she said, almost hopefully.

“Lavender’s?” His eyes lit up. “I love that place.”

He loves tea and books, she thought. So unlike Solomon, who wouldn’t hear a word about any book, let alone read one.

“Let’s go?” he asked, gently slipping an arm around her waist. His touch was light, his eyes questioning.

She smiled shyly. “Sure.”

So chivalrous… so unlike Jeremy, who always just assumed I wanted whatever he did.

As they walked, her foot caught on a broken patch of pavement.

“Careful!” Mark exclaimed, catching her before she stumbled.

“Thanks,” she said, breathless. Such strong arms… and wow, manly, she thought, cheeks warming as he held the door open for her.

They took a cozy corner at Lavender’s, the aroma of steeped herbs and fresh pastries wrapping around them.

“They have lovely blueberry cupcakes here,” he said, handing her a menu. “Want to try one?”

“Sure. I really like blueberry flavor.”

As they settled in, Sally noticed something on the back of his hand. A symbol—intricate and otherworldly. Her breath hitched.

“What’s that… on your hand?” she whispered.

He turned his palm slightly, revealing it more clearly. The symbol was elaborate: an eternity loop, twin eyes nested within, each eye holding a tiny heart. Surrounding the whole design were ancient-looking runes, shimmering faintly.

Her eyes widened.

“Wait… Gared had the eyes. Jeremy had the heart. And Solomon… the runes.” Her voice trembled. “All in the same colors.”

She looked up at him, stunned. “Who… who are you?”

He held her gaze, calm and certain. “I’m all of them. But more importantly—I’m your fated mate.”

Before she could speak, he gently reached for her wrist. “Now that the pieces are in place…”

As she looked down, light shimmered across her skin. Slowly, the same intricate symbol began to appear on her wrist, glowing softly as if it had always been a part of her—just waiting.

She gasped. “It’s real…”

Reading quotes

Some really beautiful quotes about books and reading: 

1. “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” —Dr. Seuss

2. “Reading brings us unknown friends.” — Honoré de Balzac

3. "There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island."— Walt Disney

4. “Make it a rule never to give a child a book you would not read yourself.”— George Bernard Shaw

5. “A book is a gift you can open again and again.” — Garrison Keillor

. “Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.” — Groucho Marx

7. “Think before you speak. Read before you think.” — Fran Lebowitz

8. “Reading is a discount ticket to everywhere.” — Mary Schmich

9. “We read in bed because reading is halfway between life and dreaming, our own consciousness in someone else’s mind.” — Anna Quindlen

10. “My alma mater was books, a good library…. I could spend the rest of my life reading, just satisfying my curiosity.” — Malcolm X

11. “Books are a uniquely portable magic.” — Stephen King

12. “Books and doors are the same thing. You open them, and you go through into another world.” — Jeanette Winterson

13. “Books are mirrors: you only see in them what you already have inside you.” — Carlos Ruiz Zafón

14. “A book is a way for your imagination to be wild and free.” — Unknown

15. “Take a good book to bed with you – books do not snore.” — Thea Dorn

16. “A well-read woman is a dangerous creature.” — Lisa Kleypas

17. “I think books are like people, in the sense that they’ll turn up in your life when you most need them.” — Emma Thompson

18. “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one.” — George R.R. Martin

19. "There is no frigate like a book to take us lands away." — Emily Dickinson

20. “No. I can survive well enough on my own – if given the proper reading material.” — Sarah J. Maas

21. “When you lose yourself in a book the hours grow wings and fly.”— Chloe Thurlow

22. “The world belongs to those who read.” — Rick Holland

23. “Reading one book is like eating one potato chip.” — Diane Duane

24. “To know a man’s library is, in some measure, to know a man’s mind.”— Geraldine Brooks

25. “If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.” — J.K. Rowling

Grief varies

Grief affects you differently. It varies not only from person to person but also the situation. The same person can grieve very differently due to differeny losses in different stages of their lives. In one case the grief may present itself loudly and uncontrollably putting one in a frenzy of activity and in another case it is mind numblingly quiet and closes down all activity. Both are just as deep.