Best Left Unsaid

Submitted into Contest #238 in response to: Write a story including the line “I can’t say it.”... view prompt

3 comments

Fiction

“Could you just—”

“Hang on a min—”

“OWW. Stop touching th—”

“OK, OK. I know this is weird, but you have to—”

“No, I don’t wa—”

“Wait wuh wuh, wai—GUH—”

“I said—”

“Listen, Oh—”

“No! Stop it n—”

“OK, OK, look here are my—”

“Sto—”

“Here are my hands. See? I’m n—I am not going to go any further than th—”

“Just let me breathe a sec. I know—"

“OK, but—”

“I know this is hard. It’s hard for both—”

“Hard? This has been impossible. Do you know—”

“I know! Yes. I am not an idiot. But just because it’s hard—”

“It’s not just hard. Like I said—”

“Ha!”

“Like I said, it has been impossible. And you are not making it—”

“What, easier? You think you are the only—”

“Stop. Just st—”

“I will not! I will not just stop. You have to—”

“What? I have to—”

“You know what you have to—”

“Well, I am not there yet. And no amount—”

“It figures. All this posturing and you can’t even—”

“Like I said—”

“Oh, you said it alr—”

“Are you going to let me fin—”

“Say it again, why don’t you? ‘I’m under so much press—”

“How can you talk to me about—”

“I am not an idiot. I have seen the way you—”

“You’ve seen? What are you spying—”

“I don’t need a private—”

“You haven’t spent money on a—”

“Of course I—”

“We work so hard to make—”

“I told you I—”

“And this is where all the money—”

“You’re not listening to me. I was saying—”

“You haven’t said a damn—”

“Watch your tone with me, we haven’t got the ti—”

“Look, let me try—”

“Oww! Go slower, you think it just—”

“Well you are squirming, if I can't just—”

“Clearly you can’t just—”

“I need another hand for this and you are not helping me un—”

“Well that’s not how it works. You have to—”

“I know how it works and what I need to—”

“You haven’t for--you’re always working late or—”

“Working so you can spy on—”

“I have not been spying on you, what a stupid thing to—”

“Spending money on a private investigator so you can try to catch me—OWW—”

“Are you even listening to me? I don’t have time to hire an investigator and you don't need double oh seven to—”

“I am not out there having fun or—”

“Or what—”

“Wha--?

“Say it to my—”

“Don’t be childi—”

“What are you--?”

“There, I got it op—”

“Yes! That’s it, now you can—”

“Oh, I want to. I’ve been—”

“Waiting? Why wait no—”

“Mmmph mmm.”

“What are you--?”

“Shhhh, don’t ta—”

“Oh, oww oww ow, st—”

“What’s the mat—”

“Turn off the light, I

don’t—”

“Oh, so now you’re shy about—”

“Wait, wait, oh yes, that’s much—”

“What if I did—”

“Oh, yes, do—”

“Remember when we were in—”

“Oh yes, in the top of the bleachers in high—”

“Mmmmphmmh”

“Oh, yes, yes that’s—”

“Mmmmmmphh”

“Yes, that’s—what was that sou--?

“Shhhh”

“Oh my god, is that the front d—”

“The lights, the lights, turn off the—”

“Mom, dad? What are you—”

“Oh my god, honey, your ho—”

“MOM? DAD? Are you two—”

“What? No, nothing, I just lost—”

“Hi, honey, dad is just—”

“MOM? Why are the lights off in the—”

“Honey, we are trying to watch—”

“The TV isn’t even—”

“Well, we haven’t—”

“Wait, why are you home so early tonigh—”

“Don’t change the subject on—”

“Young lady, you do NOT tell your mother—”

“Dad, what is that in your hand, is that mom’s—”

“Young lady, that was not the Petersons cadil—”

“Dad! You are waving around mom’s br—”

“Answer your father, young—”

“Dad, I can still see—you’re not hiding—”

“The Peterson’s were supposed to be driving you home tonigh—”

“That was a motorcyc—”

“Mom, Dad, what is happen—”

“Your father asked you a que—”

“GAWD, mommy, I just got a ride home—”

“It was that Simmons punk again, was—”

“He’s not a punk, daddy, he’s just—”

“What, misunder—”

“You wouldn’t understand anythi—”

“Young lady, you wait right there—”

“Really, Debbie? I think we could wai—”

“No, Fred, she needs to tell—”

“I have nothing to say about hi—”

“Fine, I guess we are having this conver—”

“It’s never a conversation, daddy, it’s always yell—”

“Honey, we are just worried about you, we know what boys and gir—”

“Eww, gross. I can see clearly you kno—”

“It’s not gross, it’s nat—”

“Debbie, maybe we can have this conversation—”

“Fred, you remember being—”

“Wait, honey, why are you home early? Did something hap—”

“Noth—”

“Did that Simmons Punk—”

“No, da—”

“Fred—”

“I will kill—”

“Fred, you’re still holding my—”

“Oh god, here, take—”

“Oh god I am going to throw—”

“Oh god, honey, we are—”

“Ok goodnight, honey, talk tomorr—"

“Well, that didn’t go—”

“Do you think it will ever go well with—"

“It’s not like it used to be with our—”

“I don’t know, Fred, some things change—”

“Too fast for—”

“Do you remember what my mom—”

“Your mom loved me, I was like Eddi Has—”

“My mom hated your scruffy—”

“Hang on, scruff—”

“Yes! Scruffy and that sill must—”

“It took me six weeks to grow that thi—”

“And it took one stern look from my mother to shave—”

“Do you think she knew what was—”

“Of course she knew, my neck looked like a strawberry pat—”

“I have not been expecting it to come up with—"

“It was bound to come up at some point she’s not a little—”

“Neither are—”

“Are you laughing at—”

“Yes, you are adorable when—”

“Shhh, she is in her room n—”

“Damn that punk Sim—”

“Shhh, come here. Don’t you remember that motorcycle you had in high—”

“I was not some punk named Sim—”

“You were some punk named Fred, as I rec—”

“God, your dad hated—”

“I think that’s what I like the mo—”

“There was more to it than—”

“What more is there than this?”

“I can’t say it.”

“What was that?”

“I can’t say it…”

February 20, 2024 22:53

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3 comments

Cynthia Hansford
04:46 Mar 03, 2024

I loved how this story captured the chaos and humor of family dynamics with quick dialogue and relatable moments. I must confess my husband says I don't actually finish most of my sentences so I completely related to this story and feel like I've had this conversation!

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Alexis Araneta
23:51 Feb 20, 2024

Hahahaha ! I truly enjoyed this ! I love how readers are left to fill in the blanks. Great effect ! Lovely job !

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Corbin Russell
14:02 Mar 09, 2024

Thank you for reading!

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