35 Comments

Lots of excuses conjured up, maybe used once too often. You have an uncanny knack of creating tension with just 50 words!

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These two planets may need to seek new trajectories. The same old excuses over and over get tiresome after a while. Thanks, Heather, for commenting.

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YEah riiiight. hahaha Say goodbye.

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Most likely. The apologies and excuses run a bit thin after a while, don't they. Thanks Kate

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I need to know how this ends!

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Me, too. But I think it does not bode well... He has maybe had enough? Thank you, Kristi.

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Maybe, but being an avid true crime junkie I think he went missing or something sinister happened to him.

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Oooooh. Interesting. I give you full permission to take my 50 words and turn them into 100 or more.

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Probably a network issue! Great title!

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Network issue. ha ha ha. No doubt. Thanks, Ron

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I agree with Heather, Maybe he's heard these excuses too many times. Maybe it's time for them to follow their own orbits.

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Maybe they live in parallel universes ...? I think it may be the trend in 2023.

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A missed connection? He was checking his phone, she was watching for him. The romantic in me wants them to figure it out.

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I always admire your optimism, Janice! Thank you.

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I love how you spark so many questions with these amazing 50-word stories, Sharron! Absolutely brilliant work, as always. 😊

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Thanks, my girl. And I delighted in your expec-tea-tions this morning. Comment coming soon.

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What a great story, Sharron! Love how you’re able to create immediate tension. Sounds like this couple’s time together is about to come to a close. Though, like JM said above...perhaps it’s just a network issue! 😄

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Maybe. But I have a friend who has never been on time for anything. I hear these excuses ad infinitum. When she says she is coming at 5, I always write down 6. I don't get it!

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Haha, this is true. My wife and I have friends who are always late to everything and we use the same metric as you! 🤣 And now they have kids, making them extra late. Oh well. We love em anyway.

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Sometimes the phone don’t ring if you’re checking Substack Notes!

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Substack notes - a new social medium. And major time eater!

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There’s something Gift of the Magi about this one, too, Sharron. I liked that. It also reminded me of all the memes where the couple is in bed, she is looking at his back and wondering if he is thinking about other women. He is a little worried as he tries to remember if he properly tightened the oil drain plug on the car after he changed the oil. Sometimes it’s almost as if men and women are from different species!

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I agree.

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And it can be so wonderful and blessed. Yes, it can.

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Love this. Short sentences, clipped words, building tension. Excellent

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Thank you fandf. Writing fifty-word pieces is great practice for learning to pare back to the essence.

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Agree. Like you, I get called to the Campfire with Justin Deming

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I know you do - that is how I found you.

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Anxiety rules the day. : )

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Right on!

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There were far fewer misunderstandings before smart phones.

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You think?

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Excuses, excuses. Excuse me while I go find a more dependable girlfriend. 🤣

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Now you're talking!

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