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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#81: Candy Hearts

Ah, love. From the first spark of attraction to the soul-deep contentment of a long-established relationship, romantic love is a force that continues to mystify, enthrall, and surprise us.

And while there’s plenty to criticize about Valentine’s Day, it’s still a nice excuse for people in romantic relationships to stop and appreciate their partners for a day. Especially during lockdown, when quarters are tight and nerves are often frayed, it’s important to remember why we chose the person (or people) we coupled up with.

What better time for a writer to dive headfirst into romances? No matter how many times we tell a love story, each relationship is going to have its own unique joys and frustrations, and we want to feel them all. So feel free to let your sappy side out — this week we’re celebrating love!

This week's prompts

Write about two people reconnecting after a rough patch in their relationship.

Romance – 247 stories

Write a love story about an older couple who’ve been together since they were teenagers.

Romance – 168 stories

Write about a first date that surprises both people, but in different ways.

Romance – 161 stories

Start your story with one character setting up a romantic dinner, and end it with them looking at a framed wedding photo.

Romance – 181 stories

Write about someone asking out an old crush, only to realize their crush doesn’t remember they’ve ever met before.

Romance – 158 stories

Stories

“An Unbreakable Vow” by Cyan Villanueva

Submitted to Contest #81

All things end. Empires, stories, even love. They don’t tell you that though, it’s like a secret initiation nobody tells you about. Until you’re already head over heels in love. Until it’s too late. They made Love out to be this thing, immune to end. But Love was a choice. You had to choose to love someone everyday because otherwise the feelings fizzle out. Otherwise you would come to the harsh realization that people and their feelings could change like the morning wind from fall to winter. Causing this bone curling chill that runs itself d...

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“Chasing Feinman” by Mary Corbin

Submitted to Contest #81

I've been chasing Feinman since I was twenty-one. By that I mean beyond the man himself, the ideal of true love and all its promise. I met Jakob Lee Feinman in 1979 when I was just nineteen and waiting tables at a neighborhood bar, The International. Two years older than me, Jake was in his last year of college at Washington University in St. Louis when our paths crossed. It was all quite by chance and it saved my life. And, it sort of ruined it, too. Ruined me. For anyone else who came along after Feinman, that is. Paulina, our barten...

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“MISFORTUNES NEVER COME SINGLE” by SHYAMALA BHUVANACHANDRAN

Submitted to Contest #81

Perumal alias Peter was at cross-roads and was in a grip of utter confusion. He was holding his daughter Sherlie and was wondering what should be his next step. His ex-wife so sarcastically lashed out her tongue that rendered him speechless. “You both husband and wife are made for each other. You ditched your first wife and picked up another one. And now you see, she did the same to you. She deserted you and went away with another guy. Now it is your problem how you take care of your child. Thank God! She left you with only one kid to bother...

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“the secrets you kept ” by Firdaus Raunaq

Submitted to Contest #81

3rd person pov- Elijah sat at his window watching the rain droplets race down the glass. His brown hair was messy and unkempt from constantly running his hands through them. His big green eyes dull and slightly red from crying earlier. He could see Rose sitting on the swing on her porch. He wondered where it all went wrong between them. Just 2 weeks ago they were together, happy and laughing without a care in the world. “What happened to us Rose?” he whispered to nobody in particular. Tired of being cooped up in her room Rose w...

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“How Was Your Day?” by John Meiners, Jr

Submitted to Contest #81

How was your Day? &...

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“4 words” by Ruqayah Chamra

Submitted to Contest #81

Ben laid on the couch under a quilt, staring at the ceiling at 4 in the morning. Molly, his wife, slept on the king-size bed in the bedroom. It had been long since he had her by his side. He yearned to sleep beside her, to have her head against his chest, to have his arm over her and to hear her snoring, but he was not deserving of all that. He did not deserve her. Not after what he did. She had been a loyal wife for the whole 3 years they were happily married, but not him. He had cheated on her and she didn’t even know it. ...

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“The Little Black Book” by Tori Johnson

Submitted to Contest #81

“Grandma, why does grandpa write in that little black book every day?” My sweet granddaughter, Angie, asked. “Well Angie, it’s kind of a long story,” I said, hopeful that she would want to know more. Angie responded, “I’d love to hear it.” I smiled, “well sweetie, in order to explain the book I’d have to explain how your grandfather and I met and fell in love.” She nodded her head with excitement in her eyes which warmed my heart. So I began: “I was 19 years old the day I met your grandfather. Neither one of us went to college. We went direc...

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“A life loved, a life lost, a life lived.” by Dave Anthony

Submitted to Contest #81

When Charlotte Verity first saw Peter FitzGerald, she had no idea that one day they would be celebrating over 70 years of marriage. Even if she had, she probably wouldn’t have believed it. She’d been a quiet, shy girl, quiet, and reserved, and Peter FitzGerald was boisterous and had a quick wit. She was quiet, and he was loud with an air of the magic around him. No, there was no way they would have ended up together, even if she had known about him. He was plain, and Charlotte was beautiful. They ended up at a dance in the local youth club...

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“ Love Live long last= life ” by Ruby Collins

Submitted to Contest #81

author notes: I did not know what I should have done for my title and my topic dose not go that much with the story till the end. Also I want to thank cj m/cadence for helping me and showing me this website. By: Ruby collins Let's start from the beginning. My name is Cindy Brook ward. I am going to tell you all the tea about my old times. When I was a hot teenager. Now I am just an 87 year old grandma. Living a boring old life. Not being able to use the bathroom by myself, forgetting lots of stuff, and of course h...

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“Love throughout the ages ” by Amber Brownlee

Submitted to Contest #81

My Dearest Bethany, I have loved you from the very first moment I saw you walk into the malt shop, I know we still are very young and my parents say that we should wait until we finish high school before we make any lasting commitment. The waiting is torturing me, I love you with every fibre of my being and know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I have a plan for us to be married before I go off to war, I know that I am too young to enlist but I have a plan for that as well, I know how you feel about me lea...

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“The Perennial Doting” by Santosh Kumar Singh

Submitted to Contest #81

The Perennial Doting God makes our matches and marriages in heaven and ultimately it is God’s wish to ultimately re-unite two souls at whatever stages of our life we are. God creates circumstances and situations wherein we are bound to be re-united as a soul separated by individual person’s personal ‘state of affairs’. We never forget our first loves, even if decades go by before we see them again. True love has no bounds; we’ve all heard that while some of us have been fortunate enough to witness its magic. But one question is quite releva...

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“The Couple ” by Kate Heesemann

Submitted to Contest #81

Ralph handed his wife Jane a dozen red roses for their 66th Valentine’s Day together. The couple was now 82 and had been together since they were sixteen. Ralph remembered that fateful day in 1955 when Jane had asked him to the Sadie Hawkins’ Dance at their high school. Had he listened to his gut instinct, he wouldn’t be where he was today — married to the love of his life. Jane approached him slowly. She was scared. What-if’s kept going through her mind. What if he said no? What if he didn’t lik...

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“I remember.” by Mia LeBrun

Submitted to Contest #81

I remember it all. "I remember seeing you at school, every day for four years. You were the only reason I actually came to that crappy high school. I was never a good student, but you were always there, so always went just to stare at you. I remember making eye contact with you during algebra. The feeling of your eyes on mine burned deep inside me with passion. Those eyes ripped me open and exposed the person that I truly was, that person that I hated. But I always imagined that those eyes loved me so much more than I did myself. Your eyes ...

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“With Love, To My Dearest Anya” by Melanin Gurl23

Submitted to Contest #81

In a world where they had convinced us that our love was worth condemning, we found each other. The spring of 1959, our eyes locked. In your soft brown irises I saw an indescribable beauty. We never broke eye contact. Our eager eyes reflected into one another a timid attraction unbeknownst to us would blossom into an ethereal love. We met in your favorite season - Spring. You love Spring because it resembles new beginnings, fluorescence and ultimately hope. Even all these years later, your eyes light up at the word. To be exact, it has be...

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“Valentine v Cupid” by Marie Maher

Submitted to Contest #81

Kate stared at the woman opposite. The blonde hair looked stylish and the make-up was perfect. Her eyes assessed the slim figure, chic in a little black dress, sharp heels and the latest jacket. She looked so sassy that Kate couldn’t believe she was seeing her own reflection in her bedroom mirror. She spun around to view her rear. Wow! She was going to stun everyone, and just wait till James saw her! Kate had wanted this improvement for so long, but it had taken the catalyst of James’ defection to start the process. Now, when she look...

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$50

Prize money

915

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Feb 19, 2021 EST

Won by Molly Quinnell 🏆

Title: Golden Cheekbones and the Rising Sun

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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