Marta: Epilogue to Her Story

Friends and readers at book talk often ask, “What happened to Marta after her stories ended?”

Here’s my answer. I wrote this several years ago, but it’s still how I think an unwritten future chapter might progressed.

Marta stood at the kitchen sink washing carrots from her garden. Her mind wandered a thousand miles away from her present view. Lynne had just written from her touring along the west coast. She laughed to herself. Lynne was always a joy with stories to keep them the phone for hours.

R.J., Ryan Jonas, crawled across a rag rug toward her, dragging his teddy bear by one ear. His silken hair shimmered in the summer sunlight that fell across the floor.  He slowly made his way to the cat sleeping on a nearby rug.

Marta turned to watch Ryan’s progress. “Run, Stormy. Here comes your tormentor.”

Marta looked outside as her husband toss a giggling three year-old Ellie above his head over and over and over again. Ellie’s laughter tickled Marta’s heart. How could I have ever gotten this lucky?

Moments later the screen door closed with a whack. Tiny feet slapped across the floor as Ellie ran to grab Marta’s legs to protect herself from her daddy’s teasing.

“Thought you’d get away, huh?” Steve moved closer and closer, wiggling his fingers at both children until shrieks and laughter filled the kitchen.

Steve swept up Ellie and Ryan. “I caught you!”  Still holding both wiggly children he stepped behind Marta and bent to kiss her neck. “Now I’ve got all three of you right where I’d always hoped you’d be.”