“C’mon, Kelsey. I thought we were going.”
“I’m almost ready.” she didn’t move though, she sat at her boudoir, staring at her sunken face in the mirror. “Get it together,” she told her forlorn reflection.
It was supposed to be a happy time, but she was struggling. She tried. She really did. She looked at the faces and mannerisms of the other young mothers and tried to mimic them but inside all she could feel was an abyss of despair. In her head, all she could hear was her own mother’s criticism.
Her mother. She sighed heavily. They were going home to visit and introduce the baby. She wished she could go back to bed instead.
“Kelsey! We’re waiting and it’s hot. Are you coming? I’m sure you look beautiful.”
She stood and let her feet move obediently towards the sound of his voice, setting her face in a plastic smile before reaching the bottom of the stairs. “I’m ready,” she said breezily, “let’s go!”
Originally published for Instagram’s Romance Writer Challenge July 2019, Ravishing the Romance Day 25 “Road Trip”
Natolie Webb 