A Short Story by D.S. Marquis, American Author
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Sipping hot cocoa at the fishing pier on Sundays was a wintertime tradition for the Martin family, but Sunday wishing was year-round. Natalie's twelve-year-old eyes spied a seagull soaring overhead. Natalie's father, Adam, searched the ebbing tide for something to wash up, when Natalie's mom, Roxana spotted a star fish in a tide pool.Â
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      A passerby waved, "Strange February", he called out, "still no snow."Â
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      "Fine by me," Adam responded, "I fired up my snow-blower enough in December for a lifetime!"
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      Before disappearing under the pier, the man pulled his hood over his head. "Have a good day."Â
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      "You too!" said Roxana, now rearranging the scarf around her neck.Â
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      Adam swigged the last of his cocoa. Then collected the cups. Roxana pulled three small pieces of tissue paper and felt markers from her purse. "You guys ready?"Â
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      "I know what I'm wishing for," said Natalie.Â
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      "Me too," said Roxanna, now divvying out writing supplies to her husband and daughter.
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       Looking determined, Natalie and Roxana scrawled down their wishes right away. Adam stared at the churning sea and appeared to be lost deep in thought. Natalie held her crumpled wish in her palm blowing on it for good luck.
      
      "Hurry up, Adam, before my wish freezes," said Roxana.Â
      
      Adam's spell now broken; he jotted something down.
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     "One, two, three," Natalie counted. The Martins tossed their wishes off the pier. The tiny crumples of paper swirled down to the water.Â
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      "That's a wrap!" Martin held his wife's hand.Â
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      Roxana reached for Natalie's, but before she could grab it, Natalie ran ahead and yelled over her shoulder, "I'll race you to the beach!"Â
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      "No running for me today." Adam took a deep breath.Â
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      "You alright?" asked Roxanna.
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      "Probably a cold." Adam winced and placed his gloved hand on his abdomen.
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      "I'm making you a doctor appointment." Roxana's voice was firm.
      
     "I'm betting that was your week's wish." Adam let go of his wife's hand, trading it for a one armed hug.
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     "I'm not telling." Roxana smiled.
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      At home after dinner, Roxana said what she always said on Sunday, "Back to the grindstone, tomorrow." Natalie fussed about her Algebra homework. Adam, who most Sunday nights would fuss at the computer answering work emails, announced he was going to bed early.Â
      
      Natalie chatted with a friend on Facetime. "Maybe, we'll have a snow day tomorrow, then we won't have to take the dumb Algebra test."Â
      
      Roxana peered into her daughter's room, "No snow in the forecast for tomorrow, I'm afraid. Lights out in fifteen minutes."       
      
      
      The next day, Roxana sat in the car in the school parking lot waiting for her daughter. Natalie came smiling and then she looked back at a friend and waved. She was carefree and Roxana dreaded the thought of spoiling that. The car door opened and Natalie dropped into the passenger seat. "Oh, I'm so hungry, what's for dinner?"Â
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      Roxana's eyebrows pulled up and together. "Honey, your dad's in the hospital." Her hand stretched out to move hair from Natalie's face. "We'll go see him now and eat dinner at the hospital."Â
      
      Natalie's posture stiffened. "Why? What happened?"
      
      "The doctors are running tests." Roxana's lips stretched back toward her ears before pulling the car out of the parking space.
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      Natalie thought that her dad looked small in the hospital bed. The hospital cafeteria food wasn't so bad. By Wednesday of the second week, Natalie figured out she could get her homework done on a clip board in the chair next to her dad's bed. Roxana held Adams hand a lot. Each afternoon Adam asked about the traffic and the weather. He didn't want his family driving on icy roads. It's dangerous driving in the snow, he thought. On Friday at 8:00 o'clock when visiting hours were over, Adam said "I love you." Then in a silvery voice he reminded his wife and daughter a twelfth time, "Don't come to the hospital if it snows."Â
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      Saturday Adam had surgery. Sunday when his family whispered, I love you, Adam lay on his back, eyes closed, breathing irregular and rattling. Roxana's hope shivered.
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      At home, in the middle of the night, Natalie crawled in bed with her mother. "Mom, we didn't wish today."
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      Roxana, dazed, reached her arm around her daughter. Natalie repeated herself. "We have to wish tonight. We just have to."
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      Roxana reached for her phone. "It's one o' clock in the morning, Honey, 19 degrees."
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      "I'll dress warm," said Natalie.
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      At night, the fishing pier seemed longer and narrower. Clouds covered the stars. There was no moon. Ocean waves lapped the pilings. When Natalie looked toward the sign that read, "Pier is closed after dark December - March", the sea spray froze her nose hairs. Â
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      "Hurry," said Roxana, "No one will see us. This is an emergency wish." They held tight to their crumpled wishes. Their free hands held one another. Tears froze on Roxana's cheeks. When they reached the end of the pier, they looked toward the looming water. With all of their might, they dropped their wishes like prayers into the vast darkness.Â
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      Roxana's cell phone rang. She retrieved it from her pocket. The screen lit up revealing a call from the hospital. Then snow began to fall.Â
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D.S. Marquis is the author
of the creative nonfiction book, Of School and Women
and
the community living guidebook, The Condominium Living Paradox
Don't Come If It Snows received honorable mention in
The WritersWeekly.com Summer, 2024 24-Hour Short Story Contest.
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