Alex.J.Cobalt

Josie rocked her daughter to sleep, marvelling at how tiny she was.

The digital clock illuminated the nursery, glowing a friendly 02:00 at her. Outside, she could hear the hoot of owls winging their way through the night sky.

Most people had told her that the late nights were hard. And they were hard. In the same way that people who signed up to those ridiculous adventure courses she used to do knew it was going to be hard.

Just because something was hard didn’t mean it was horrible. It just made it hard.

They had been fortunate with Eloise. She slept like a champion, waking up to be cuddled or fed like any newborn. But when she slept, she slept deeply, her eyes darting across the back of her tiny eyelids as she chased her way through her dreams.

Most had said that there was a weight to being a parent. The colleagues at work who complained about their children, the tiredness, the frustration. They had all warned Josie that she was young and therefore was going to regret this.

Eloise gurgled in her sleep, wriggling in Josie’s arms.

She felt the weight, but it was a welcome weight. A weight that brought as much joy as it did responsibility, as much love as it did frustration.

Josie didn’t regret becoming a parent. In fact, she felt like it was up there with one of the best decisions she had ever made.

• Muffled (Stories on a Theme – “Soft”)
  Tamsin hoped the bathroom door muffled her tears. That was the curse of being soft, of being emotional, her parents said. The curse of crying when things hurt. Tamsin didn’t agree. … More Muffled (Stories on a Theme – “Soft”)
• Gentle (Stories on a Theme – “Soft”)
  The sea is gentle today, a calm surf gently lapping the shore of the stony beach under your feet. You can feel the air hint at the warmth of the air … More Gentle (Stories on a Theme – “Soft”)
• 02:00 (Stories on a Theme – “Family”)
  Josie rocked her daughter to sleep, marvelling at how tiny she was. The digital clock illuminated the nursery, glowing a friendly 02:00 at her. Outside, she could hear the hoot of … More 02:00 (Stories on a Theme – “Family”)
• Flash Fiction – Red Brick Wall (Stories on a Theme – “Facade”)
  Faye always wondered what was on the other side of the red brick wall.  It was at the bottom of the garden, far away from the house and the adults. Tucked … More Flash Fiction – Red Brick Wall (Stories on a Theme – “Facade”)
• Flash Fiction – Snack Time (Stories on a Theme “Food”)
  “You’ve just had a snack,” Emma said to her daughter, Madeline, who continued tugging at her leg and pointing at the biscuit jar. “Biscuit,” she said, grinning up at Emma with … More Flash Fiction – Snack Time (Stories on a Theme “Food”)
• Flash Fiction – Summertime (A Teacup Story)
  Kasey hummed to herself as she dodged the various beach goers, carrying the ice creams carefully in her hands. The vanilla one was already melting, dribbling down the side of the … More Flash Fiction – Summertime (A Teacup Story)