There was something about the morning air, cool and welcoming, that lured Sarah from the arms of her husband. She left the warm and comfort in favor of the crisp and chill for a moment of peace from the balcony of their vacation rental.
Sarah cupped her favorite coffee mug, a 40th birthday gift plastered with the smiling faces of her kids. Joey, Jacob, and Emily were her world and their father was her best friend.
The trip had been crazy, chaotic, and somehow, just what her family needed. It didn’t offer sun and sand, but with many things to do and see, it satisfied across the kids’ ages from twelve to three. Sarah enjoyed it, even though she needed an internal pep talk before every excursion into tourist-land.
The sky was painted pink and purple, the ridges made black by the rising sun. The trees would be revealed in due time, the details would come into focus, and her family would wake. But just now, Sarah could sit. She could dream.
She closed her eyes. If she had this view at home, her novel may not have taken five years to write. Instead of stealing fifteen minutes in a crammed office, between carpools and her nine to five, she imagined sitting here. Her laptop could actually rest in her lap…
The sliding door opened and sleepy-eyed Emily stumbled to her. Sarah pulled her into a hug and kissed her, both sad and content that her stolen moment was over.
Writing Flash Fiction is one way that I try to exercise my fiction writing muscles on a regular basis. Indies Unlimited is a writers' website that hosts a flash fiction contest each week. For this week's contest, there was no writing prompt. There was only this photo by K.S. Brooks with the title, Sunrise. This was my entry submitted on May 15, 2016. I am pleased to report that my entry for "Sunrise" won this contest. Read the announcement here.