- Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:
This short little ficlet popped in my head, so here you go... I adore Phyllis, and I want her to be happy forever and ever.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

It’s been three months since her wedding, and Phyllis is as happy as she ever thought she’d be. She and Bob had a wonderful wedding, and now they live in a sweet little house that Phyllis has decorated so carefully. She has made it feminine, but not unwelcoming to a man. Once a week, Bob takes her to a nice restaurant- they’ve made a vow to try every sit-down place in Scranton. Sometimes, she’ll surprise him with a meal she knows he loves, roast beef, or chicken parmesan. Other nights, he cooks for her. He says you can’t be in the refrigerator business without learning a little something about kitchens, so she sits back and lets him cook. Sometimes they drive to work together, and Bob will lean over at red lights and kiss her on the cheek.

 

Sometimes, she’ll get a rush of the old feelings across her mind, and she’ll be sad. It was hard to come out of her depression a few years back, back when everything seemed so pointless and pathetic. Then that nice man from the company in the next suite had asked her to dinner, and everything had changed. She knew not to base her identity on the man in her life, she was smarter than that, but Bob had made her feel like a new person. Not since her dancing days (bad knees had put an end to those) had she felt so alive. The old feelings would trickle away, and Phyllis would always count her blessings.  Her mother and sisters loved Bob, and she felt sure her dad would have, too. Bob’s three children from his first marriage were very nice. It had been an amicable split for Bob and his ex-wife Linda many years ago; she had even sent them a sweet card and a vase for their wedding, all the way from Arizona, where she and her second husband Larry had moved a few years ago.

 

If she was honest with herself, there was only one thing missing from Phyllis’s life. No matter how lovely Bob’s children were, they were already adults. Paul and Megan had already married, and Eric was almost done with college. Phyllis’s one regret was that she had never gotten to raise a child. Bob knew this, and had bought a tiny kitten for them to raise. He knew it wasn’t the same, but she loved him for the gesture. Dizzy was delightful, and the perfect addition to their little family. Bob soothed her daily so easily by reminding her that he had waited so long to meet someone like her, that good things were worth the wait. 

 

Tomorrow happened to be Phyllis’s birthday, and Bob was planning something. She had her suspicions that it would involve dinner, wine, and perhaps season tickets to the theatre, because he knew it was still in her blood. Tonight, she’d be happy with the stew that was bubbling in the crock pot and the shows that were on television.


            Rifling through the day’s mail, Phyllis found a birthday card from Bob’s middle child, Megan. She opened it and found a cute card with little birds and bunnies on it. She opened it and read, “Dear Phyllis, I wanted to wish you a very happy birthday. I’m so happy that you’re part of the family. You make my dad happier that I ever remember seeing him, and he’s lucky to have such a wonderful woman in his life. I’ve loved getting to know you over the past few years, and I’m looking forward to many more fun times. So for your birthday, I wanted to let you know that you’re going to make an excellent Nana very soon!  Love, Megan …P.S. Don’t tell Dad, Josh and I are stopping by on Saturday to tell him, and we’re bringing your actual present, too!

 

Phyllis put the card down, tears in her eyes. She had to go find her knitting supplies as soon as possible, and start making an afghan for her new…grandchild! Maybe Michael had been right when he’d said “Everyone gets a chance!”



McGigi is the author of 22 other stories.



You must login (register) to review or leave jellybeans