Surprise Story Saturday: Stuffed Elephant

Over the years the photograph had become wrinkled in his wallet. The image was worn, and the once youthful face was scarred with creases.

Apr 30, 2022

Over the years the photograph had become wrinkled in his wallet. The image was worn, and the once youthful face was scarred with creases. At first, Dave was proud to show off the picture of his newborn child. Amber. Even the name felt like a keepsake.

People would visit his desk at work just to have a look. Time has a way of changing things. It always has.

The photograph resided in his wallet as he scrolled pictures online. His baby girl off to college, his only daughter buying her first house, his first grandchild taking his very first steps. So many memories, none of which he could place in his wallet, all of which fill up his heart.

The photograph remained in his wallet, perhaps as a reminder of the world that once was, but mostly it remained because of the smile on his daughter’s face. He’d given her a stuffed elephant, a toy that had to reside on the shelf until she was old enough to play with it, when she first arrived home. Her eyes, big and blue, lit up at the sight of it. Luckily, he had a camera nearby.

Thank you for reading this surprise story!

Would you like to see more surprise stories in the future? They wouldn’t be every Saturday. Let me know in the comments!

Thank you to all who have checked out The Centennial Courtship on Nook and Kindle! Would you want to live in the small town of Brooks Landing?

If you’re looking for more reading options, I have a book available on Kindle and Nook as well as various serials on Kindle Vella.

The Centennial Courtship on Kindle. Please leave a review on Amazon if you’ve read it. You can either write a review or just rate it out of 5 stars.

The Centennial Courtship is now available for Nook readers!

Check out the first 3 chapters for FREE on Kindle Vella. (Easily read on your phone)

Abigail Bloom's life is thrown into a sweeping romance when a new deputy rolls into the small town of Brooks Landing, but when her ex-husband enters back into her life, she's unsure if she can hold onto her new chance at true love. A break-in in the small town causes Abigail's ex to suspect the new deputy - Can she trust her new love interest or is he using her as an alibi?

How about some serial fiction? “One Town Over” on Kindle Vella offers up another small town romance, this time set in Peek Creak (which may sound familiar if you’ve read “The Centennial Courtship”). Follow along as a new romance blooms! You can read on your phone/tablet/computer. (contemporary romance, office romance, romantic comedy)

One Town Over

(First 3 episodes FREE) John Prince's life in Peak Creek seems perfect. He's been seeing Cassandra Queen for six months and hopes to move in together. However, Cassandra resists the change, putting John's romantic future into question. When an opportunity to advance at work opens up, John feels his luck turning around. Katie Young, a recent transfer at the firm, has other plans. Their rivalry collides when they have to co-present during a company retreat.

Romance story collections (available on Kindle Vella) First 3 episodes are FREE in each collection (9 FREE stories). Perfect for quick reading sessions on your phone:

The Fantasy of Love: A Romance Story Collection