Author's Note: This story is courtesy of a post by Khell in the FB SMK Fanfic group from WritersDigest. The Prompt: Write a short story, of 700 words or fewer, that begins with the following sentence: The difference is, I lie for a reason. So, here's my attempt.
The difference is, I lie for a reason, Dotty West told herself for the millionth time that she'd had to look her grandsons in the face while lecturing them about honesty in the face of her own dishonesty. She shooed Phillip and Jamie to the backyard to play and watched through the French doors they'd left open as they chased one another and tossed their well-worn football around.
"I don't know how long I can keep this up," she muttered aloud. How does my daughter do it? How does she lie to me every single day and expect me not to know it?
She shook her head and firmly closed the doors and then wandered toward the bookcase on the opposite side of the room. Knowing that she still had hours before Amanda would be home from her latest "work" trip with Lee Stetson, she pulled out a battered album from the shelf...one she'd had since her daughter was a baby. She thumbed through the pages and looked at the yellowed photos of Amanda's first steps, her first day of school, her first successful bicycle ride and began to flip faster to one from years later of her holding newborn Phillip in her arms and finally unable to take it anymore, went straight to the back of the book, yanked away the cellophane sleeve holding photos of her teenaged grandsons in place to a much newer photo.
She smiled at seeing how happy her daughter looked in this photo with Lee's arms around her, the shining gold band gleaming brightly on the hand that lay resting on his shoulder as they gazed longingly at one another. Her smile soon faded as her thoughts wandered to the events that had followed this happy occasion and how she'd nearly lost her only daughter. She'd been elated to discover that she was going to survive and Lee had too.
She'd never forget though, the moment that elation had been shattered. She knew that Lee had been desperate to see Amanda, but she couldn't resist taking just one last peek at her before she'd departed to get some much-needed rest and what she saw touched her heart, Lee gently leaning in to place a tender kiss to her daughter's lips, but what she heard...what she heard shocked her to her very core...the barely audible..."I love you Mrs. Stetson."
She wasn't a stupid woman. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the "two" vacations were actually one and that this trip was a lovers' getaway, however, it had never once occurred to her that it was intended to be their honeymoon. What had happened over the next few weeks had stunned her even more. She'd felt sure that Amanda must have planned to tell her the truth upon her return, but due to her shooting, was just waiting until she felt stronger, but now...now...Amanda was well healed and still...nothing.
Dotty shoved the photo back into his hiding place and shook her head again at the thought that she wouldn't even have that photo if it hadn't been for her taking the time to do some investigating. It wasn't that difficult since marriage licenses are a matter of public record. One computer search, a trip to the Smyth county Justice of the Peace in Marion and a lovely chat with a kindly woman named Mrs. Bowman and she knew all that she needed to know...all except one thing...why? There didn't seem to be a reason. Lee loves her, she loves Lee, so what reason would she have to lie about marrying him?
Yes, I lie for a reason, she thought again as she put the album back, I pretend not to know that my daughter is married because she pretends that she is not. I just wish that I knew the reason she lies. That's the difference; I have good reason to lie; she does not.