Warm Mornings by Madison Randolph

Miranda sat on the couch with a warm mug of coffee. A video of a fire crackling played on the tv that her husband, John, had put on.

“No way, thank you!” Her middle child crowed, holding a new paint set aloft. 

She smiled at him then glanced down at her arms, her eyes tracing the white scars that crisscrossed from wrists to elbows. 

John set the trash bag down, took her hands, and kissed her wrists. 

Miranda stroked his face and kissed him. 

“Mom, look.” Her oldest held a camera, grinning. 

Years later and the simple word still warmed her heart. She ran her fingers along the cross charm at the nap of her neck. 

Once she had never imagined her life could be so full; where despair had darkened, now faith and love bloomed. 

Madison Randolph is a reader by day and a writer by night. Her works have appeared in Friday Flash Fiction, The Drabble, Bright Flash Literary Review, Spillwords, The Chamber Magazine, A Story in 100 Words, Free Flash Fiction, Microfiction Monday, Cafelit as well as 101 Words under the name Ryker Hayes. She resides in Oklahoma with her family and dog Belle where she spends her time sharpening her writing skills and drinking large amounts of coffee. Her works can be found at https://linktr.ee/MadisonRandolphWriter.