Lit For Little Hands Novels & Stories

Literal work. I was in the garden, my hands deep in soil and petals, sweat sliding down the back of my neck. The sun was sweltering, beating down like it had something to prove. My fingers moved quickly as I gathered the fresh blooms Luna Denise had requested—roses, hydrangeas, lilies. Bright colors for a bright party.

My mind screamed, but the fear of being molested was louder as I pushed him off. “I'm sorry, I didn’t mean—” Before I could finish, he grabbed me again, pulling me closer. Without thinking, my hand flew up, and the sharp crack of my slap echoed through the room.

The crystal beads caught the sun, swirling tiny spots of rainbow light across the baby's blanket. Lyra let out a breathless, joyful coo, her tiny legs kicking beneath her swaddle. Her small hands reached up toward the shimmering stars, her eyes wide with pure, innocent delight as her gaze locked onto Lucas's silver eyes once again. Lucas let out a soft, breathless laugh, reaching down with his pinky finger. Lyra’s tiny hand instantly wrapped around it, gripping it tightly as she babbled her approval. "She loves it!" Liora squealed softly, clapping her hands. "Lucas, she loves our stars!"

Lyssa says handing her one of the two cookies she stole, I looked at them with big wide eyes now. "Is that why you cried?" I ask her not understanding this. "Mhm, it's mission get cookies," Katie answered me and I loved this girl now, she got us cookies. "Do you guys have your phones? I'm bored and the TV has been off for most of the day," I groan, wanting to do something or watch something other than just playing with the toys, they are becoming very boring now. "I broke mine," Katie says with a pout. "She was feeling very small and threw it toward the wall by mistake," Lyssa says with a shake of her head.

I quickly turned to meet his chest. "Awwnnn... You short poor baby." He teased me. I fumed and hit his chest so hard but it seemed as though he didn't feel the pain. Instead, he just dipped his hand into the bowl and scooped some mixture into his index finger. He took it to his mouth and licked it off.

Ever so kind and beautiful. Soon, we were out on the lake, a lantern glowing at the bow of the boat as the city lights reflected upon the water surface, creating a kaleidoscope of colours. The flame of the lantern fickled for a moment, and when Shayla turned her face towards the lantern to check if the flame was doing okay — and she looked so impossibly candascent in the night light, that I couldn't believe that she was real. And that she was mine.

I reassured him. His tears spilled over. One drop, then another, until they came pouring out like a river through a broken dam. His body began to tremble, from his shoulders all the way down to his fingertips. He reached out, grabbed the hem of my shirt, and pleaded, "Help me." His voice was barely a whisper, sounding as if it had traveled up from the deepest, darkest depths of an abyss. I took his hand in mine and promised, "I will." Outside, sunlight streamed through the window, painting the floor in a warm golden hue that looked exactly like that morning all those years ago.

Whenever he said something funny, she laughed so hard her shoulders shook, even reaching out to lightly slap his thigh. It looked less like conversation and more like flirting. When we arrived at the private room, Carrie casually handed the menu to Gabe. "You're my childhood friend. You should know what I like without me having to say it." Gabe rested his chin against her neck. "Of course. I even know how many moles you have on your body." I silently took a seat to the side. Not a single dish on the table was something I could eat. Gabe filled my glass with wine, then picked up his own.

Others held wooden staffs. One little child carried a tiny handmade lantern that barely stayed lit. They stopped a short distance away. Watching us. We watched them. Neither side spoke. Neither side needed to. The child looked at the crystal flower glowing in the sand. Then slowly lifted their own little lantern. Its flame trembled in the morning breeze. Hope lifted the Lantern of Beginnings in return. The two lights reflected in each other's glow. The child smiled first. A shy. Gentle. Hopeful smile.

I clamped a hand over my mouth to keep from breaking into sobs, but the tears spilled anyway, rolling down my hand like beads from a broken necklace. Time blurred. I couldn't tell how long I sat there, not until my eyes ran dry and the sobs finally stilled. I sniffled, picked up my phone, and called my best friend, Lily Ludlow. She was a lawyer. "Lily, help me draft a divorce agreement." On the other end, she hesitated for a few seconds before speaking, her voice heavy with concern. "A divorce agreement? Anna, are you serious? You love Tristan. Why would you suddenly want to end it?"