Freshwater Literary Journal 2021

Page 13

Amanda Fahy To the Woman Who Hugged Me The music was blasting through the DJ’s speakers as I dug into my second helping of prime rib. “I’ve never seen them come out with the carving station for seconds before!” my Dad said, “Get it while you can.” Prime rib wasn’t something my family was accustomed to. Having a household of six mouths to feed, chicken was on the dinner menu almost daily. Sitting at a rounded, white-clothed table with my whole family dressed to the nines also wasn’t something that happened very often. The Aqua Turf Club of Southington, Connecticut was a dream location for any couple to have their wedding. The club’s botanical gardens paired with the wooded barn-like chapel made for an enchanted atmosphere. Our table was located on the corner of the dancefloor which gave us the perfect view of the couple’s first dance. At each place setting under the delicately folded white cloth napkins, the wedding favors hid. In the dim light, I could hardly read the small text. “Fabiano + Lilah” was on one side of the customized M&Ms, while the other read, “Forever & Always.” I devoured the tiny package within seconds. My mom had known Fabiano his whole life. Being her best friend’s son she was there the day he was born, until now. My mom felt like she was watching one of her own kids say, “I do.” “Which fork am I supposed to use?” whined my younger brother after rummaging through the utensils. You thought this was funny. Watching my mom show my brother how to use eating utensils properly made you and your husband chuckle. “We left our kids at home tonight,” you yelled over the music. You sat directly across the table from me in a brown dress that shimmered in the lights reflecting from the chandeliers and disco ball. You probably introduced yourself, and I feel guilty now for not remembering your name. After swapping tidbits on parenting with my mom you complimented my siblings and me. “You have such good-looking children, they’re all so beautiful” you exclaimed after glancing at each of us. My two older sisters were able to thank you for the compliment with ease, but I looked down at my hands in my lap. My heart started to beat faster. Beginning my teenage years, lacking self-confidence was a struggle for me. Even though it took my mom over an hour to curl my hair, and everyone seemed to love the ruffled knee-length blue dress I was wearing. I still did not feel pretty. While trying to conceal the tremble in my voice I replied, thanks, in a soft, timid tone.

13


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Contributors

21min
pages 148-157

James K. Zimmerman

2min
pages 144-147

Chila Woychik

4min
pages 142-143

Diane Woodcock

1min
page 141

Shelby Wilson

1min
pages 139-140

Charles R. Vermilyea Jr

6min
pages 135-138

Kelly Talbot

6min
pages 131-133

Eugene Stevenson

1min
page 130

Steve Straight

1min
pages 128-129

Matthew J. Spireng

1min
pages 125-127

Susan Winters Smith

1min
page 124

Richard Smith

1min
page 123

John Sheirer

6min
pages 117-119

Edythe Haendel Schwartz

1min
page 116

Harvey Silverman

6min
pages 120-122

Natalie Schriefer

1min
page 115

Ruth Pagano

3min
pages 107-108

S.E. Page

2min
pages 109-111

Elise O’Reilly

1min
pages 105-106

Wood Reede

2min
page 112

Zach Murphy

2min
page 104

Rosemary Dunn Moeller

2min
pages 98-100

John Muro

1min
pages 101-103

Joan McNerney

1min
pages 96-97

DS Maolalai

1min
pages 94-95

Sarah Leslie

1min
page 92

Christopher Linforth

1min
page 93

Tom Lagasse

1min
pages 89-91

Genevieve Jaser

1min
page 86

John Lambremont

1min
page 88

James Croal Jackson

1min
page 84

Jessica Handly

7min
pages 80-82

Lee Grossman

6min
pages 73-75

Pat Hale

1min
page 76

Ruth Holzer

1min
pages 77-79

John Grey

2min
pages 70-72

Dave Gregory

2min
page 69

Dave Fromm

5min
pages 63-65

Taylor Graham

1min
pages 66-68

Nikki Friedman

1min
page 62

Michael Estabrook

1min
pages 60-61

Josef Desade

1min
page 58

Timothy Dodd

1min
page 59

Steve Denehan

1min
page 57

Macy Delasco

5min
pages 55-56

Susanne Davis

7min
pages 50-53

Holly Day

1min
page 54

Mason Croft

5min
pages 48-49

Shannon Cuthbert

1min
page 47

Jamie Crepeau

1min
pages 44-46

Joe Cottonwood

2min
pages 41-43

Peter Neil Carroll

2min
pages 39-40

Melanie Brooks

1min
page 36

Katley Demetria Brown

1min
page 37

Gaylord Brewer

3min
pages 34-35

Ace Boggess

1min
pages 32-33

Paul Beckman

1min
page 29

Callie S. Blackstone

1min
page 31

Kara Barsalou

1min
page 28

Cathy Barber

1min
pages 26-27

Dee Allen

1min
pages 23-24

Sarah Martin

7min
pages 10-12

Emily Schwartz

8min
pages 19-22

Luiz Emanuel de Castro Moura

4min
pages 17-18

Victoria Orifice

4min
pages 15-16

Susan Winters Smith

7min
pages 7-9

Amanda Fahy

3min
pages 13-14

Freshwater Student Writing Contest

3min
pages 4-6

Information

1min
pages 1-3
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