Short story | In the summer of 1983, twelve-year-old Margo Stewart grapples with the news of her parents' divorce and meets an unexpected confidant during a trip to the coast of Maine.
I really enjoy your world building and how you describe your places. It’s a very artistic description while also leaving room for the imagination. “Mom told me it had been built in the 1930’s and when you got up close it was obvious how the salt and sea air had about wrecked the place. The white shingle siding and dark green shutters were scarred with flaking paint and the old metal roof was striped with rust.” This one for example I really enjoyed cause I could imagine exactly what you were talking about!
Also I loved this quote “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, Margo, but there is no normal. The older you get the more you realize things change all the time. The more determined you are for things to be normal, the harder it will be for you when those things inevitably change. But just because something changes doesn’t mean it won’t work out. Maybe not exactly how you wanted, but in a way you can live with.” Been faced with this many times, it’s an important thought and lesson
So many things we have to feel and can’t fix (at least not immediately). Thank you for your thoughtful reading of the story and your continued support Asuka 🙂
Thanks for reading Mike. Kids are so much wiser and more perceptive, especially in the face of difficulty, than we sometimes give them credit for. I'm glad this one resonated with you.
I love everything about this story, Jay. You date the story subtly (Thriller & Walkman - I was transported back!) and you capture Margo’s voice beautifully. You reveal a lot through small details, and I felt the title was so well chosen, too, with all its hidden meanings. I agree with my fellow commentators that ‘There is no normal’ is a phenomenal phrase and paragraph. You can add this story to the fantastic collection you’re hopefully building, really enjoyed it, Jay. 📚
Thank you dear Niamh. I think we're both 80s kids, so I'm glad the references hit home. The fact that Margo came across well and believably to you means the world. And I don't know if it was my own parents divorce when I was 9 that made me question what's "normal" from a young age, but it has certainly made me resilient and a seeker of silver linings, no matter the size of the cloud. That said, the state of the world (and US in particular right now), is testing most of us. Here's to good people like you helping keep us sane and providing a glimmer of hope. <3
A seeker of silver linings, that’s beautiful, definitely something to put in a tshirt! Yes, the world is a scary place at the moment, and us 80s kids are wishing we cd rewind… I hope you’re all doing ok, it’s tough watching from the sidelines what’s unfolding. We wish for you and all of us that this madness will end soon. I loved Margo, I felt she sounded grown up beyond her years at times but I think that’s what happens when kids have to grow up quickly. That must have been tough when you were that young, and channelling that into a story is healing I’d imagine. Stay well 🤗
“Goodnight Catherine.” Ohh that one hit me right in the gut! As a child of divorce I’ve definitely pulled that one. Such a great and tender story Jay. You really invoked the way children can pull so much truth from the smallest of moments. Well written 🩶
Oh that's so wonderful to hear, Nicole. Thank you so much. My parents divorced when I was 9 so there's definitely some hard-won personal wisdom in there. It was really important to me to try and get Margo's voice right and I'm so glad the story resonated with you. And thank you for re-stacking it 🩵
Thank you for reading, Marc. I love(d) Margo. When I was writing, I just kept thinking, Margo is precocious AF!! It was also fun to be back in 1983 for a spell. : )
“I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, Margo, but there is no normal. The older you get the more you realize things change all the time. The more determined you are for things to be normal, the harder it will be for you when those things inevitably change. But just because something changes doesn’t mean it won’t work out. Maybe not exactly how you wanted, but in a way you can live with.”
I really enjoy your world building and how you describe your places. It’s a very artistic description while also leaving room for the imagination. “Mom told me it had been built in the 1930’s and when you got up close it was obvious how the salt and sea air had about wrecked the place. The white shingle siding and dark green shutters were scarred with flaking paint and the old metal roof was striped with rust.” This one for example I really enjoyed cause I could imagine exactly what you were talking about!
I think the little details really matter! At least, I enjoy them in stories, it makes the world more recognizable and human
Also I loved this quote “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, Margo, but there is no normal. The older you get the more you realize things change all the time. The more determined you are for things to be normal, the harder it will be for you when those things inevitably change. But just because something changes doesn’t mean it won’t work out. Maybe not exactly how you wanted, but in a way you can live with.” Been faced with this many times, it’s an important thought and lesson
Thanks so much for reading Oliver, and your insightful comments!
“there is no normal.”
That’s the truth kids get before adults do.
Quiet talk, soft coast, big feelings held without fixing. The sunrise doesn’t heal it, just stays. That’s enough.
So many things we have to feel and can’t fix (at least not immediately). Thank you for your thoughtful reading of the story and your continued support Asuka 🙂
Lovely atmosphere in this piece.
So kind. There was certainly some wistfulness fueling it. Thank you for reading and your compliment.
Beautiful stuff, JG. I’d love a conversation with Margo, a wise soul early in her journey.
Thanks for reading Mike. Kids are so much wiser and more perceptive, especially in the face of difficulty, than we sometimes give them credit for. I'm glad this one resonated with you.
I love everything about this story, Jay. You date the story subtly (Thriller & Walkman - I was transported back!) and you capture Margo’s voice beautifully. You reveal a lot through small details, and I felt the title was so well chosen, too, with all its hidden meanings. I agree with my fellow commentators that ‘There is no normal’ is a phenomenal phrase and paragraph. You can add this story to the fantastic collection you’re hopefully building, really enjoyed it, Jay. 📚
Thank you dear Niamh. I think we're both 80s kids, so I'm glad the references hit home. The fact that Margo came across well and believably to you means the world. And I don't know if it was my own parents divorce when I was 9 that made me question what's "normal" from a young age, but it has certainly made me resilient and a seeker of silver linings, no matter the size of the cloud. That said, the state of the world (and US in particular right now), is testing most of us. Here's to good people like you helping keep us sane and providing a glimmer of hope. <3
A seeker of silver linings, that’s beautiful, definitely something to put in a tshirt! Yes, the world is a scary place at the moment, and us 80s kids are wishing we cd rewind… I hope you’re all doing ok, it’s tough watching from the sidelines what’s unfolding. We wish for you and all of us that this madness will end soon. I loved Margo, I felt she sounded grown up beyond her years at times but I think that’s what happens when kids have to grow up quickly. That must have been tough when you were that young, and channelling that into a story is healing I’d imagine. Stay well 🤗
“Goodnight Catherine.” Ohh that one hit me right in the gut! As a child of divorce I’ve definitely pulled that one. Such a great and tender story Jay. You really invoked the way children can pull so much truth from the smallest of moments. Well written 🩶
Oh that's so wonderful to hear, Nicole. Thank you so much. My parents divorced when I was 9 so there's definitely some hard-won personal wisdom in there. It was really important to me to try and get Margo's voice right and I'm so glad the story resonated with you. And thank you for re-stacking it 🩵
Ah I should have known we were birds of a feather! I was a similar age. Great story as always.
Wise child, Jay! Even if she hardened like a shell, which cracked my heart, this one is a read, and reread for the interior details.
Thank you for reading, Marc. I love(d) Margo. When I was writing, I just kept thinking, Margo is precocious AF!! It was also fun to be back in 1983 for a spell. : )
Love this quote
“I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, Margo, but there is no normal. The older you get the more you realize things change all the time. The more determined you are for things to be normal, the harder it will be for you when those things inevitably change. But just because something changes doesn’t mean it won’t work out. Maybe not exactly how you wanted, but in a way you can live with.”
So very very true
Thanks so much for reading Leona. I'm touched that bit of writing resonated with you - that’s what it’s all about as far as i’m concerned.