June 2025 Short STory

“Martha, our car is parked this way.”

“Are you sure Brent? Your memory is totally unreliable,” said Martha as she smirked at her husband.

“Well, if you like the hospital so much you can always stay.”

Martha rolled her eyes as Brent watched the snow fall around them, reminding him of the harsh winters that come every year. 

“Of all the places to live, why did we have to pick Newfoundland?”

“You’re the one with fisherman in your blood, passed on from generation to generation.”

Brent shook his head, “glad I’m a bylaw officer. Can’t fish to save my life,” he said defending his occupation.

Suddenly Martha giggled, skipping her way through the parkade, “hee hee, betcha can’t catch me Brenty!”

Another sigh came from Brent as he caught and held onto Martha’s hand, as if she was a little girl, despite the fact she was nearly thirty.

“Hee hee, your head is turning bald Brenty! Baldy Brenty!”

Brent wagged his finger at his wife, as if lecturing a young toddler, “Call me baldy again and there’s no ice cream for you, young lady.” 

Martha scuffed her brown shoes and stared at the ground, clearly sorry for her behaviour. 

Having mended mistakes, they stopped by the ice cream shop and took a moment to choose their flavours.

For the third time in less than five minutes, Martha’s personality changed once again, this time to that of an elderly old woman.

Hunched over as she ate her gelato, the couple sat at a table, under the mesmerizing spinning of the ceiling fan.

Not looking for a moment, Brent suddenly found Martha examining his muscular arms, amazed at how toned and ripped his body was. 

Despite being slightly embarrassed, he had been through it all before and thought nothing of it. To him, it wasn’t even a fuss.

“My, my you even have a six-pack abdomen! Quite the specimen you are young man!” croaked out Martha, as strangers watched from the bus.

“Well, you’re not so bad looking yourself, for an old foggy that is,” said Brent.

“Be off with you, you sly charmer. Bet you could charm a bird out of a tree with your handsome looks and velvety voice.”

Brent took another big sigh and hugged his wife tightly, who was shocked at his sudden reaction. 

While they were in an embrace, Brent whispered in her ear, “My love and charm is only for you my dear Martha, and that’s my choice.”

He then took off his wife’s toque and gently touched the top of her shaved head. “I know we don’t have much time left, but I will treasure every moment with you my dear.”

Martha heard her husband’s tone and for a second, seemed confused, but then her eyes cleared and a single tear rolled down her cheek. “Brent, was I…acting up again?” she said in fear.

Brent nodded before helping Martha into the car as she couldn’t do it herself, being too weak. “I’m just happy you didn’t turn into a witch or something. That’s where I draw the line.”

“So perhaps a princess would be just fine?” suggested Martha.

“Why don’t you lie back and be like a sleeping princess then. You need your rest.”

With eyes drooping lower as she started to doze off, Martha confessed her thoughts on her split personalities: “In this mood I feel normal; the time we have together during these periods are to me, the best.”

As Brent listened to his wife gently snore, he let out another sigh, then smiled, seeing their remaining time as blessed.

The End