“His Perfect Plan”

Author’s Note: This is a Take Ten to Write story and has not been proofread for errors. If I feel inspired or if there’s interest in the story, I’ll post a revised, edited, and extended version at a later date. Happy reading!

Prompt: “Write a story with all of these words: coat, cup, elephant, kiwi, penguins, roses, doormat, and frustration.” — prompt suggested by E.L. Stew

The roses lined the walkway leading up to the house. Her heart pounded as she followed the trail, clutching her coat about her to keep the chill at bay.

Just as she reached the doormat, her phone released a shrill ding. She pulled it out and opened the message.

Welcome home ❤

She smiled; her boyfriend had definitely planned something out for her.

She continued into the house and was immediately met with the scent of her favourite kiwi tea. A hot cup rested on the table beside her boyfriend’s keys. She picked it up and took a sip. Perfection.

As she took off her boots, she noticed that a pair of stuffed penguins was sitting on the stairs. Between them was a note.

She sat next to them and gently tugged away the note. Carefully, she unfolded the small piece of paper.

Remember us?

A smile tugged at her lips. She picked up the penguins and gave them a squeeze. She did remember. How could she forget their first date? She had told him that her favourite animal was penguins, and he had immediately taken her to see them.

She continued up the stairs and stopped next to the elephant statue. Something was different about it. Something tiny, but also impossibly large.

As she stared at him, she felt her frustration begin to rise. She always made sure to keep the elephant perfectly placed and clean; it had been a present from her late father and one of her last memories of him.

Then, she saw it. The ring, looped around the elephant’s right tusk.

A familiar hand on her shoulder made her turn. He gently slid the ring from the statue and knelt in front of her.

Final Comments: This one was so tough, but also extremely fun. (Thanks a lot, E.L. Stew… At least we struggled together haha.)

Overall Rating: 😄