They called the new baby Rainbow.
To anyone who asked – and plenty of those who didn’t – Kate would say it was because they wanted their daughter to be bright and colourful, to be a symbol of hope, connected to both the Earth and the Heavens.
Mike would stand behind his wife, smile and nod.
What he couldn’t add was that after Kate’s drink driving conviction, her brief imprisonment and lengthy counselling, after her affair and his decision to take her back, the baby was a symbol of calm after the storm.
The sole remaining, ephemeral connection between her parents.
***
Written For Rochelle Wisoff-Field’s Friday Fictioneers. See the inspirational photograph and pen a story. See here to join in.
Word Shamble 
I nod my understanding. Which of course you can’t see. So I add a smile 🙂
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Thank you. I smile in return 😄
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I like the separation of the spin and the truth here
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Thanks so much Neil, glad you felt it worked
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That’s an apt name for the baby! Nice story. 🙂
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Thank you, Shweta.
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Ouch.
Love how you peel away the layers until the final hopeless conclusion.
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Thank you C. Sadly, people don’t always stay together for the right reasons, so they? Thanks for reading
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So many layers in so few words. I liked the contrast between the spin and the reality. Well done, Lynn.
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Thanks very much Sandra. Glad you felt it worked
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That’s a very heavy load for a baby to carry. Sad story, expertly layered.
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Thank you so much. That’s a lovely comment
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Great take on the prompt, wow! Love the symbolism here, the idea of a rainbow — which has no mass, no substance– being a tie between two people, beautiful and yet holding no weight. Your story makes me wish, for all three of their sakes, that they will forge a stronger bond out of the ashes.
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Thank you so much Joy. As soon as is thought of the symbolism of the rainbow, I had to run with it. And we’re seeing a lot of rainbows here at the moment – on my regular exercise walks, I’m seeing dozens of them in windows, all drawn by young children during this lock down. It’s becoming a symbol of hope, of unity, of a brighter future I suppose. Thanks so much for reading.
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I hear that the children in our extended neighborhood are doing that too. It’s one of the draws to getting up the courage to go out for a real walk. Although it occurs to me that I won’t be able to see the rainbow drawings that well, given my limited vision — and I don’t want seem like some burglar creeping up onto their front lawns to get a better look, oh my!
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There are hundreds of them springing up – feel like photographing all the ones near me and making a collage
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Dear Lynn,
To say nothing of Kate’s colorful past. Love the story. So much written between the lines with your knack for the description. Lovely.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you, Rochelle. Very kind
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The story we tell versus the story we live… Fabulously done!
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Thank you so much, Dale. Yes, I can’t help thinking mist of us do this to some extent.
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That we do. Embellish, lie (including to ourselves)
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To ourselves most of all, sometimes
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So true!
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What’s in a name? – an awful lot of story it turns out! Nicely done Lynn.
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Thanks Iain
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Oh gosh, what a hugely evocative story in just a few words. Well done, Lynn!
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Thank you so much, Susan. Very kind
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short piece of flash which packs an emotional punch- very well contrasted
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Thanks very much, Alyson
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And we wonder why children go astray. Well told
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Thanks Michael. True, no one would thrive under that pressure
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That’s a lot of pressure to put on a baby, but it happens. I like how you fit in both sides of the story.
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Thanks so much and you’re right – too much pressure. Thanks for reading
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You told a lot of story in 100 words.
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Thanks so much. Glad you thought so
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You’re very welcome.
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Quite an eventful life, sounds like!
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Very true. Some people are drawn to an unquiet life
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Good name for a baby, but a heavy load to carry. It ain’t her job to hold them together … May they find more to do so than her. …
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Very true, Na’ama. You wouldn’t wish that burden on any child, but still some are given it. Thank you for reading
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Indeed, some are!
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Great story within a tiny package, so to speak.
My favorite tale today.
Tracey
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Aw, thank you Tracey. Hope you’re well
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So well told! The contrast between the real world and the world Kate constructred is enormous. Mike seems to be the one to hold the two worlds together. Excellent writing!
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Thank you so much, Brenda. Glad you felt it worked
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I can’t help but picture the baby growing up and becoming goth haha.
Great symbolism.
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Ha! The opposite of nominative determinism! ☺️
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Brilliant little take, I didn’t see that coming, but I completely understand
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Thanks so much. Glad the meaning came through. Take care and stay well
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There’s goodwill on both sides; I hope they make it. You give us a good thumbnail sketch of the couple.
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Thank you, Penny. So glad you thought so. Thank you for reading
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Lynn, another stunning piece. I don’t know how you do it, but I’m sure glad you do.
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Oh, thank you so much, Lish. Really glad you liked it. All the best and take care
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That last line really tells the story. You’ve put a whole history of a relationship into few words — great job.
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Thank you so much, Eugenia. That’s really good of you to say. Thanks for reading
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