The Writeventures of Emaleecious

  “Ladi, odi ne?” “Have I offended you in any way?” Chenu’s voice was low and soft, but his eyes held concern. “Your eyes are guarded, and your hackles are up. I could almost swear you growled at me this morning.” He stepped into the kitchen, his tone a mixture of confusion and worry. “My love, did I do something wrong?” Chenu wrapped his arms around his wife, pulling her to his chest. She froze. “No,” Ladi mumbled, trying to shrug him off, but he held her firmly, his grip tender yet insistent. “Then why have you been building walls around yourself this past week?” Chenu’s voice softened as he spoke, his fingers gently stroking her back. “At first, I thought you were tired, but I watched you smile at everyone else, and when I approached you... the smile vanished. My love, tell me what I’ve done. I promised myself I’d never be the cause of your sadness. Please, tell me.” His voice cracked with sincerity. “Tell me, and I’ll apologize at once and try to make it right. Anything you w...

  This concludes (finally) the Still Waters short story. Thank you for following and reading about Ladi and Chenu as they navigate life and find solid ground. I'd really love to know what you think about this short story, so please leave a comment. You can catch up on: Part 1-  Shattered  Part 2-  The Plan Part 3- Silent Tension Part 4- The Breaking Point Part 5- The Turn ******************* The room was larger than she expected. Fifteen chairs in a circle, a pot of coffee on a side table, and a board filled with flyers and handwritten notes of encouragement. In that circle were fifteen faces, some familiar, others not. Each one's face had a story. They listened with rapt attention, not wanting to miss out on anything she was saying. Ladi stood near the front, heart steady, a huge smile on her face. She radiated peace.  “This time last year,” she began, fingers resting on the folded edges of her notes, “I was angry with God. And terrified. I didn’t know what to ...