She went home with tears in her eyes, unshed as yet, locked behind the shock of the moment. She had no idea how he would react. They’d never be able to pay their bills with both of them on unemployment. She just knew they’d lose the house. Who was going to hire people in their mid-fifties? How did a person go on after working for the same company for fifteen years?
She opened the front door and their gazes met.
“I got laid-off today.”
“You’re fuckin’ kidding me.”
“No.”
He started laughing. She began to cry.
“It’s not funny!”
He held his stomach.
“You’re right,” he said. “You don’t know it, but we’re lucky this happened.”
She sniffed and took a breath.
“I think you’ve finally lost it. We’re going to lose everything we have.”
“Who cares? Let them have it all.” He waved his arms like a game show model. “We are free.”
“If you call living in our car freedom.”
He rose from his chair, danced over to her and grabbed her in a bear hug. She pushed on his chest.
“Let me go, you mad man.”
“Never.” He kissed her. “Come on.” He took her hand and pulled her towards the door. “I thought about going to kidnap your from work. That would have been romantic.” He tugged her onto the porch.
“Let’s go cash in our winning lottery ticket.”
* * *
233 words
LUCKY (adjective) 3: producing or resulting in good by chance : favorable
For Trifecta: Week Seventy
If only...
ReplyDeleteOh Gods, if only it could happen that way! <3
ReplyDeleteoh now that would def be a wonderful surprise...
ReplyDeleteLucky indeed...he played that well!
ReplyDeleteI just dream of that freedom.
ReplyDeleteI love this! I can't wait for the day when my husband says those words to me. It can happen, right?
ReplyDeleteI love it when good things happen to those who really deserve it! And these two lovable characters deserve it. Well done!
ReplyDeleteAlmost makes me want to buy a lottery ticket!
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet story... I knew something good was going to happen. Just didn't know what. Super believable dialog.
ReplyDelete(you have a misspell in the first paragraph)
I couldn't read your post. The recommend on facebook, google, etc bar ran over the text. No amount of scrolling allowed me to read.
ReplyDeleteOh, how I WANT!!! Please tell me this is a true story... ;-)
ReplyDeleteWonderful surprise at the end. Problem is, lots of people are spending grocery money on the lottery for precisely this situation, and you know, in gambling, the house always wins.
ReplyDeleteIt turned out all right for them, though! My philosophy is simple: If we were to lose it all, and I had only the clothes on my back, there are three things no one can take from me: My faith, my name, and my willingness to start over from scratch. This was a fine story, with that wonderful O. Henry twist. Fun! Amy, a fellow Trifectan
Oh, I was kind of proud of them for dancing through the news of the unemployment! But yes, a winning lotto ticket would surely be reason for dancing.
ReplyDeleteFunny, but I was feeling they were going to be just fine even before the ending sentence. I like the line, "let them have it!" Sometimes I think that true freedom lies in divesture of all this "stuff".
ReplyDeleteI was laid off last week...this would be a dream come true! I take these stories as written - with sadness, with joy, with tears, with laughter.. you provided the last one - thanks. :-)
ReplyDeletedang it....i want to comment on your journal entry today...smiles...so i am cheating...first, i hope you feel better...love your description of the place...and the thunder...i love the storm and standing in its awesome power and thunders cousin lightning....awesome...def would love to visit that place as well...
ReplyDeleteheh, always a silver lining to be had.
ReplyDeleteI was so impressed by 'The Thrill of Thunder,' which may sound perverse as it is a personal diary entry, that I overlooked this which also resonates as I too may be about to lose my job.
ReplyDeleteYou are a damn fine writer. I would love to read more about your childhood. I think this should be, being selfish here, a future project. As for this post, I like the way it veers into some sort of jovial irrationality. Sort of like saying 'sod it, bugger the consequences.'
It reminds me of the old Neil Young lyric: "People my age, they don't do the things I do, they go somewhere while I run away with you."
I'm with Trifecta on this one.
ReplyDeleteThen again, maybe he misread the number???
Lol nice use of hte prompt and I only wish!
ReplyDeleteGreat ending! If only real life worked out like this more often.
ReplyDeleteNice job! I love how the title ties the piece together.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful story -I am a sucker for happy endings,loved how they got "lucky":-)
ReplyDelete