Amelia was out of Pringles chips. This was a very big problem, since they were Amelia’s main pregnancy craving. She had always loved Pringles, but now that she was pregnant, she NEEDED them!
“What time does the store close?” Amelia asked.
“In fifteen minutes,’ George said. “I don’t think there’s time.”
“We can make it!” Amelia said. “I’ll drive!”
But the last time Amelia drove in a hurry, she’d backed into a tree, and George wasn’t sure that a pregnant frog desperately craving Pringles was going to be the best choice in driver tonight. Besides, he felt it was his froggy duty to drive his wife around when she required it. If it wasn’t in their marriage vows, it should have been. “Do you take this frog to be your lawfully wedded wife, to drive around town, to fulfil her cravings, and to love with all your heart til death part you?”
“Why don’t you let me drive?” George said. “Then you can jump out and run into the store while I park.”
So they jumped into the car and George stepped on the gas…
It was now 13 minutes and counting until close, and he’d give it his best shot, at the very least!
They arrived at the store with five minutes to spare, and Amelia hopped out and waddled into the store. The last thing he heard was a teenager saying, “Ma’am? Ma’am? We’re closing in five minutes. Ma’am?”
And George parked the car. Amelia would be fine. That teenager had no idea how important Pringles chips had become in their household.
George had had a tough day at work. It began with his briefcase. He’d put a yoghurt cup for his midmorning snack in his nice, Italian leather briefcase, and for some unforeseen reason, the yoghurt cup had exploded and ruined his bag. Completely ruined it! It smelled like yoghurt, and it would not come clean.
“You can use my briefcase,” Amelia said. “Working from home, I hardly need it.”
“No, thank you, Amelia,” George said. “It’s sweet of you to offer, but the other analysts would mock me mercilessly. I’ll have to take my things in a grocery bag…”
“Oh, George…” Amelia said. “I think you need a vacation.”
“I do!” George said. “I need a week off where I can shop for a new briefcase, and putter in the garden, and watch daytime television. That’s what I need.”
“We could watch Family Feud together!” Amelia said.
That actually did sound rather wonderful.
“I’m going to do it!” he declared.
George sat up. He felt better already. Family Feud with Amelia could cure a multitude of ills!
George was on vacation, and when he was on vacation, he liked to take care of things that needed doing around the house.
Amelia never noticed the things he noticed. She’d walk right past a wonky thermostat, and she’d completely ignore a funny sound in the clock whenever it struck the hour.
George, however, noticed these things, and this vacation, he was going to tick every single thing off his to-do list. Starting with the grandfather clock.
He worked on it all day, taking breaks to eat, nap and watch Family Feud with Amelia, of course. And by the time evening came, when the clock struck, the sound was clear, bright and true.
“What do you think?” George asked proudly.
“It’s twelve minutes before the hour,” Amelia said. “Isn’t it?”
George frowned at the clock. “I must have brushed something… Oh, dear…”
“Just leave it, George,” Amelia said. “I don’t mind when it chimes, really. If I want to know the time, I look at my phone. If I want to feel cozy and homey and comfortable, I listen for the clock’s chime. It doesn’t need to be on time to make me happy.”
“What will the neighbours think?” George asked.
“You mean Patricia?” Amelia shrugged. “She’s working on a manuscript, George. Yesterday, she wandered down the street again thinking about her story and nearly caused an accident. The day before that, she burned popcorn because she wasn’t paying attention to the stove, and the fire alarm went off. Trust me, she’s not going to notice when our clock chimes.”
That made George feel better. People probably didn’t pay as much attention as he feared they did. And that gave him the rest of the week to get this clock chiming on time!
What a great vacation he was going to have.
I hope you’re enjoying the Knitted Newlywed stories. I sure have fun putting them together!
If you enjoy books with sweet romances and family drama, check out my booklist! You just might find your next read!
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Happy reading!
❤
Patricia Johns 
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