Joia and the Guild

One story I'm very excited about is currently titled Joia and the Guild. 

Funny, for my love of writing and creative story ideas, I'm completly useless at naming my own stories.

This is a children's (young adult) fantasy story.

Synopsis:  Joia is the daughter of Thomas the Baker, a tradesman of high respect in her villiage.  Joia's life seems to be like that of all the young ladies in the villiage.  She is learning how to care for a home and be a good wife so one day she might marry a respectable tradesman in the villiage.  Joia hopes to marry Hakon the Thatcher.  One summer day, when Joia is 15,  a group of travelling entertainers comes to the villiage. Joia meets the mysterious Edmund, the leader of the group of entertainers.  He can see that Joia has a destiny outside of the village.  A destiny that somehow relates to all the trade's guilds.  Joia, Hakon and Edmund begin on a journey that will lead them across the land and finding that all is not well among the trade guilds.

PART 1

Untitled: Part 4

If you are just joining, please begin with PART 1.

Synopsis: Paul and Nora have been happily married for fifteen years. They have a nice home, good jobs and three sons. But one day, more than seventeen years after his first marriage ended, Paul discovers that his first wife and him have a daughter. She is a girl on the verge of high school graduation and womanhood. Paul and Nora must come to terms with this new addition to the family.

Nora slid the pan of pork chops into the oven and closed the door.  She turned back to the kitchen table, where her youngest son Isaac was sitting.  Well, sitting was hardly what he was doing, his head was on the table and he was wallowing in self-pity. His head was resting right on top of his homework paper.

"Come on Isaac, sit up and do the work," Nora encouraged him.

"But Mom, it's too hard," Isaac whined.

Nora hated this nightly battle with Isaac.  She sat down next to him and pulled the paper out from under his head.  She looked over the math sheet.  "You did the last two perfectly," she said.  "Come on, let's do the next on."

Isaac lifted his head and Nora put the paper back in front of him.  Isaac huffed at the paper and he began to work.  Nora sat next to him and watched him work.  He was doing everything correctly.  When he had finished the problem, he looked up at his mother.

Nora nodded, "You got it right, keep going."

Isaac huffed again and went back to his work.  Nora chuckled to herself.  Isaac, who was eight, was her youngest.  Despite the whining and fighting he put up each night, he was very smart and never really needed her help.  But, he preferred sports and playing outside over homework.  He was small in size, but his wiry body was full of energy.  There was always a ball at his feet and even as he sat at the table, doing homework, his feet were twirling around a basketball under the table.  He would go on five mile runs with Paul periodically.  Of the three children, he looked like Paul the most.  The truth was, all the boys looked like Paul, but Isaac was the only one to have Paul's blue eyes.  The other two boys, Tristan and Blake, had Nora's light brown eyes.

Tristan, who was fourteen, was well rounded in his interests and activities.  Along with sports, Tristan also played in the school band, enjoyed reading and hanging out with friends.  He was social and had an easy going personality that made him popular among his friends.

Blake was twelve and often seemed to have his head in the clouds.  He was a dreamer and an artist.  He loved the outdoors and often spent nice days outside in a cluster of trees behind their home.  He would sit there and draw and dream.  He had camped out there on his own many times during the summers.  He didn't play sports like his dad and his brothers, but he enjoyed watching them and could be found with the other men in the house on the weekends, watching their favorite sports teams play.

Nora watched Isaac to his homework.  He was getting it all correct.  She stood up from the table, "Keep it up, you're doing it right," she said.  "Only a few more problems to go and you are done."

Isaac groaned, but he went back to his work.  In less than five minutes he had finished the math sheet and sprinted from the table to the back door.   Nora went back to preparing dinner.  Her mind wandered back to the events of the afternoon.  She couldn't stop thinking about Alexa.  What was she like.  She wondered if Alexa was a tomboy or a girly girl.  Did she like school, sports, music? Was she fashion conscious or did she have a style all her own?  Was she a reader?  Was she quiet and shy or outgoing and popular?

"Mom?"

Nora jumped, her thoughts abruptly cut off.  "Oh, Blake.  You startled me."

"Sorry, Mom," Blake said.

"That's alright.  Now, what can I do for you?"  she asked.

Blake held out a paper.  "There's an art contest at school.  I'm going to enter, but my teacher has asked a couple of us to come to an afterschool group so she can work with us on our entries and technique.  I need you to sign the form."

Nora took the paper and looked over it.  "Sounds like fun," she said.  "You'll stay after school on Tuesdays and Wednesdays?"

"Yep."

Nora glaced over to the calendar.  It wasn't hanging on the wall.  Nora remembered she had given it to Paul earlier.

"That should be fine," Nora signed the paper and gave it back to Blake.

"Thanks Mom," he said.  "When's dinner?"

"Half an hour.  Have you finished your homework?"

"Yep," Blake answered again.  He left and went back to his room.

Nora went to the office to retrieve the calendar.  Paul was at his lap top.  She walked to him and kissed the top of his head, then she reached over his shoulder and picked up the calendar. 

"She wrote back," Paul said, swiveling his chair around to face her.

"Who wrote back?  Alexa?" Nora asked.

"Yeah.  She is inviting us over for dinner at her grandparent's house on Friday evening."

Nora glanced at the calendar.  Paul had already written the dinner onto the calendar.  "Good, that should be fine.  Are you alright?"  Nora kissed his head again.

"Yeah, fine," Paul answered, but his voice waivered, giving away the nerves he was feeling.

"It will be OK," Nora said.  "Dinner's in thirty."

When Paul didn't answer, she left and went back to the kitchen.  She hung the calendar back up on the wall.  Dinner on Friday with her husband's daughter and ex-in-laws.  What an evening to look forward too.

PART 5

Untitled: Part 3

If you are just joining the story, please begin with PART 1.

Synopsis: Paul and Nora have been happily married for fifteen years. They have a nice home, good jobs and three sons. But one day, more than seventeen years after his first marriage ended, Paul discovers that his first wife and him have a daughter. She is a girl on the verge of high school graduation and womanhood. Paul and Nora must come to terms with this new addition to the family.

Nora wrapped her arms around Paul and held him close.  Paul hugged her back.  He was lucky and he knew it.  Nora was an amazing woman.  She could have been angry with him.  He had a daughter with another woman, but Nora's arms were wrapped around him, and he knew that she loved him.

"Paul," Nora said. "Alexa says it is your name on the birth certificate, so she has probably begun forming an emotional bond of some sort with you even before meeting you.  And I know that you were legally married to Jessie for a short time, so there is really not much reason to doubt, but how sure can we be that Alexa is actually your daughter?  I mean, we really don't know what Jessie might have done after the divorce.  Is it possible that Alexa isn't your daughter?"

Paul looked hurt for a moment, but then his face softened. "I suppose you could be right.  However, in the email,  Alexa attached a photo of herself with Jessie."  Paul pulled out another folded paper from his pocket.  He handed it to Nora.

She unfolded it and looked at the picture of the two women.  One was older, with red hair and wearing a business suit. The other woman was a young, obviously a teenager.  She was wearing a school uniform and was laughing about something.  Nora looked closely at the teenage girl.  Alexa.  Her husband's daughter.  She gasped lightly.  "She has your eyes, Paul, and your curly hair."  Alexa's eyes were the same shade of bright blue as Paul's.  And her hair looked just like Paul's, but longer.  It was dark brown and full of curls.  "She looks so much like you," Nora said.

Paul took the picture back from Nora.  He looked at it and chuckled.  "Jessie must have dyed her hair.  She wasn't a red head."  He folded the paper and stuck it back into his pocket.  He stood there, in the middle of the room.  His eyes were unfocused as he thought about all the memories and feelings that were flooding back to him.  He thought of Jessie.  She had been so sweet and was such a beautiful bride.  They had been so happy and often talked about their future together.  Their honeymoon had been perfect and when Paul went back to work that first morning, he had no reason to believe that she would not be there waiting for him when he got home.  They had snuggled together the night before and chatted over breakfast.  Passionate kisses had been exchanged and they lamented being apart from each other for the entire day while Paul would be at work.  When he got to work, he was greeted by a stack of papers that needed to be taken care of.  He had been very busy all day long, but during his lunch hour, he had tried to call her.  She hadn't answered and Paul had figured that she must have gone to the store to stock their bare pantry.

He had no idea that she had left.  She had given him no warning.  They had been as happy as could be, or so he had thought.  But she had left and now, he realized, that she was pregnant when she left.  She couldn't have known.  Paul wondered if it would have made a difference to her if she had known before leaving him.  Probably not, Paul decided.  But, he would have like to have known and had  the chance to be  a part of his daughter's life.  He had been angry with Jessie when she left him, but he had forgiven her and moved on.  It had taken time to reach complete peace and forgiveness. Several years, if he was honest with himself.  But now, with the revelation of a teen daughter, all the hurt came back.  He was angry with Jessie all over again.  It wasn't about him and Jessie this time.  It now involved Alexa, Nora and his three sons with Nora.

"Nora, our sons," he turned around and looked into her eyes.  "How do we tell them about this?"

Nora slid her arms around his waist and squeezed him.  "Well, we tell them the truth.  They are old enough to know and understand.  They deserve the truth.  They have a sister now."

"A sister."  The revelation of a daughter was coming at him like a storm.  He felt lost and helpless.  It was so much to take on.  He pulled out of the hug that Nora had on him.  He looked at her and smiled, "That means you are a step-mom now."

Nora frowned and playfully shoved him.  "I never thought I'd be one of those.  I shall do my best to be very evil."

Paul hugged her.  "I'd better go email Alexa," he said.  "What's our schedule like?"  Nora took the calendar off the wall and handed it to him.  He looked at it for a moment.  "Where do I suggest we meet?"

Nora thought for a moment.  "Well, she could come here for dinner, although it might be difficult to talk openly with her on that first meeting with the other kids around.  We could meet at her grandparent's home.  It would be more comfortable for her and you could talk to your ex-in-laws.  Or we could meet at a restaurant.  It would be a neutral place."

Paul nodded at her suggestion, then he turned and left for the office.

Nora sat down on the sofa again.  A daughter had suddenly joined the family.  How would it changed the family dynamics?  Nora tried to think of the young lady who had just lost her mother, moved to a new city to live with her grandparents and then discovered the truth about her father.  As shocked as Nora and Paul were over this, no doubt Alexa was going through an even more difficult time.

Nora checked the clock.  She still had just under an hour before the kids got home from schoo.  Nora peeked into the office. Paul was typing at an email.  Nora went back to her comfy chair.  The tea was cold.  She sat down and picked up her book.  She found her spot in the book and where she had been and started to read again.

Ten minutes later, Nora realized she was still on the same paragraph.  She wasn't really reading.  Her mind kept wandering and she had read the same few lines over and over.  There was no way she could read right now.  Not when so many thoughts were going through her mind.  She closed the book and put it down.  For a while she just sat there, thinking.  Finally she got up and went back to the office.  Paul was sitting back in his chair, looking at the picture of Jessie and Alexa.

Nora walked quietly to Paul and placed a hand on his shoulder.  "Do you miss her?" she asked.

"Jessie?  No.  I don't miss her, but having this picture of her, seeing her for the first time in seventeen years, it is very strange.  Her face is a familiar stranger.  I know her and that she was once my wife, but at the same time, she never really was.  It was all a lifetime ago."

Nora squeezed Paul's shoulder.  He reached up and took her hand, pulling her around from behind him.  He pulled her down and sat her on his lap.  Nora put her arms around his neck and kissed him.  He held her around her waist.  He kissed her back.  His kisses wandered around her face and then onto her neck for a few moments until she giggled and squirmed away from the tickling.

"How much longer until the kids get home?" he asked.

Nora glanced at the clock on the screen of Paul's laptop.  "Half an hour," she breathed as he kissed her neck again.

"Perfect," Paul said.  He stood up, which forced Nora to stand up too.  He took her by the hand, led her out of the office and into their bedroom.  He shut the door and locked it.

PART 4

Untitled: part 2

If you are just joining the story, start at the beginning with PART 1.

Synopsis: Paul and Nora have been happily married for fifteen years. They have a nice home, good jobs and three sons. But one day, more than seventeen years after his first marriage ended, Paul discovers that his first wife and him have a daughter. She is a girl on the verge of high school graduation and womanhood. Paul and Nora must come to terms with this new addition to the family.

"You know I was married for a short time before I met you," Paul said.  It wasn't a question because he knew that she knew the answer.

"Yes," Nora said.  She was surprised.  Paul almost never spoke about his first wife.  Nora tried to remain calm, but she could feel her breathing getting quicker.  A panic was starting to rise in her.  He his first wife contacted him?  Was e leaving her?  Maybe she should have worked harder on those last 20 pounds.

"We got married, went on our honeymoon and on my first day back at work after the honeymoon, she left.  I came home expecting to be greeted by my wife and instead I came home to a letter saying she had decided she didn't want to be married after all.  A couple of weeks later, I got the annulment papers to sign.  No explanation, no phone call, nothing.  We never spoke again.  I tried, but Jessie had moved and changed all of her contact information."

"Yes, you've told me all of this.  It still makes me sad to think she hurt you like that," Nora said.  It was true.  She was glad, for her sake, that his first wife had left him, leaving him free to meet and marry her, but she didn't like to think that someone had broken his heart like that.  Nora sighed an internal sigh of relief.  Maybe he wasn't leaving her after all.

"It did hurt, but it turned out for the best," Paul smiled and looked at Nora's face.  "I met you."  He learned over and kissed her.

"I've always appreciated your honesty to me about your first marriage," Nora said.  She was starting to relax, but she wondered where Paul was going with all of this.

"Well, it seems that Jessie wasn't very honest with me about several things." Paul took another deep breath and let out a big sigh.  "Nora, I have a daughter."

"What?" Nora felt like she just got the wind knocked out of her.  "You have a daughter?"

"Honeymoon baby," Paul lightly chuckled.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't know until today."  Paul was hurt.  He never would have held information of this caliber from his dear Nora. 

"So what's changed?" Nora asked.  "Why now, after all these years, is Jessie finally telling you this?"

"Jessie didn't contact me.  Alexa did," Paul replied.

The name his Nora like another punch in the stomach.  "Alexa is your daughter's name?"

Paul nodded.

"How old is she?" Nora asked.

"Seventeen.  From Alexa's email, I've learned that Jessie died a month ago."

Nora inhaled sharply, "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that."

"Why?" Paul asked. "You didn't know her at all.  Why are you sorry?"

"I'm sorry for Alexa," Nora explained.  "It can't be easy for a young girl to lose her mother."

"I suppose so," Paul thought for a moment.  "Anyway, it seems that Jessie never told Alexa who her father was.  Alexa's grandparents had a folder of important papers, should Jessie ever die.  It contained her will and Alex's birth certificate.  It was the first time Alexa had seen her birth certificate and the name of her father that is listed on it.  She found my email and contacted me today."  Paul pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it.  He handed it to Nora. 

It was a copy of the email from Alexa.  Nora read the letter out loud. "Dear Mr. Wright.  My name is Alexa Henry.  My mother is Jessie Henry, who, as I understand, was married to you for a short time seventeen years ago.  I wanted to let you know that my mother passed away a month ago.  My grandparents, who are my only family, have invited me to live with them.  We were going through some of Mom's important papers and I found my birth certificate.  There is no easy way to say this, so I guess just coming right out and saying it is the best way.  You are listed on my birth certificate as my father.  Mom would never tell me who my father was, even though I had asked her on several occasions during my childhood.  I asked my grandparents if they knew you.  They told me what they knew about your marriage to Mom.  Because of Mom's death, I've have moved in with my grandparents.  I understand they live in the same city as you.  I would like to meet you.  I know that this is awkward and I do not expect anything from you, but I would like to meet you.  I hope to hear from you soon."

Nora looked into Paul's face.  She couldn't quite tell what he was thinking.  "Poor girl," Nora finally said.  "This has got to be tough on her."

Paul nodded his head.

"Have you replied?" she asked him.

"Not yet, but I need to soon."  Paul took the letter back and read over it again.  He couldn't believe this was happening.  Seventeen years and he never knew.  He had seen his ex-in-laws over the years.  It was a problem with living in the same city as them.  For a long time after the divorce, he had tried to get information from them about Jessie, but they would never answer him.  The finally told him that Jessie had asked them not to tell Paul anything.  Paul gave up hope at that point to ever find out what had happened to Jessie.  By that time, however, he had bet and fallen in love with Nora and it didn't matter anymore.  Still, he couldn't believe they didn't tell him about Jessie being pregnant.  Obviously Jessie hadn't wanted Paul involved, but to no even tell him he had a daughter was just wrong.

"So, what do you want to do?" Nora asked.

Paul looked concerned.  He was watching Nora for her reaction.  He couldn't quite tell what she was thinking or if she was upset.

Nora noticed how Paul was studying her.  She smiled at him "Whatever you choose to do, I'll support you."

Paul relaxed.  "I want to meet her.  She is my daughter and she is still a minor.  I probably have a legal responsibility to her."

"Well, if that's what you want to do, then that's fine.  I'll be as involved as you want me to be.  If you want me with you, then I will and if you want to go at this alone, then I will understand."

Nora wrapped her arms around Paul and held him close.  Paul hugged her back.  He was lucky and he knew it.  Nora was an amazing woman.  She could have been angry with him.  He had a daughter with another woman, but Nora's arms were wrapped around him, and he knew that she loved him.

PART 3

Untitled: Part 1

Synopsis: Paul and Nora have been happily married for fifteen years. They have a nice home, good jobs and three sons. But one day, more than seventeen years after his first marriage ended, Paul discovers that his first wife and him have a daughter. She is a girl on the verge of high school graduation and womanhood. Paul and Nora must come to terms with this new addition to the family.

Paul read and re-read the email several times.  He pulled up the picture that was attached to the email.  He stared at the picture for several moments.  His mind was in a whirl.  He couldn't believe what he was reading.

Finally he printed the email and the picture, logged out of his account and shut down his computer.  Paul grabbed his coat and left work early.  He made up a poor excuse to his boss about his wife, Nora, being sick and needing him at home.

*******************

Nora was home, but she was not sick.  In fact, she was quite happy.  Her morning part-time job at the library had gone well.  A book she had put on hold had finally arrived.  The pork chops for that night's dinner was thawing, the last load of laundry was in the dryer and the dishes were loaded into the dish-washer.  She was ready to dive into her book.

Nora had two hours before the kids started getting home from school.  She fixed herself a cup of herbal tea, flipped on some quiet music and settled herself into her favorite chair.  The chair was old, over sized and extremely comfortable to sit in, although, it was hard to get out of.  The cushions were sinking in from years of use.  It was Nora's special place.  Paul had bought her the soft chair back when their first baby had been born.  She had spent many hours, sitting in that chair, nursing and snuggling all three of her children.

Nora took a sip of her tea, settled into the chair and opened her library book - a murder mystery.  It was her favorite author's latest novel.  She slowly sipped the tea as she read.  The characters were introduced, each of them seemed to have dark secrets.  The stage was set for the murder.

There was a click at the front door.  Nora's head popped up.  She heard the door open and then close.  Nobody was suppose to be coming home right now. She held completely still, listening.  Her heart was pounding

"Nora, I'm home!" Paul's voice called out to her from the front room.

Nora let out the breath she was holding.  She chuckled to herself.  The book had just gotten intense.  The murder was about to happen.  She was a little jumpy.

"Nora?" Paul called out.

"In here!" Nora struggled to get out of the soft chair.  She got up and went to the front room.  Paul was taking off his coat.  He hung it over a kitchen chair.  Nora walked up to Paul and kissed him, "Hello dear.  What brings your home so early?"  When he didn't answer right away, Nora looked into his face.  She could tell something was wrong.  "Are you sick?"

"No, I'm not."  Paul pulled her into a hug.

"What's wrong then? You seem upset."

Paul looked around the room.  "Are the kids home?" he asked.

"No.  Not for another hour and a half," Nora answered.  She was getting a little concerned.

Paul sat down on the couch with a sigh.  Nora sat down next to him, but turned herself to face him.  She put her hands on his knee.  "What's wrong?" she asked.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before answering her.  "Nora," he said, "you were so young when we married."

Nora chuckled nervously.  "Young?  Not that young.  I was twenty five."

"Much younger that me," Paul said.

"You know your age has never made a bit of difference to me," said Nora.  She gave his knee a light squeeze.  It was true.  Paul was nine years her senior.  He had been thirty four when they had married.  Her parents had worried that he was so much older and several friends had voiced their concerns, but it had never mattered to Nora.

Most of the time Nora felt much older than Paul.  He ran five miles every morning and was in perfect health and when he had turned 50 on his most recent birthday, Nora though he looked better than he did when they were married.  She, on the other hand, had not managed to stay in such great shape.  She had been pregnant and given birth three times.  During her last pregnancy, she had put on more weight than she had with the first two.  Now eight years later she had shed all but 20 pounds.  They were stubborn and they were not coming off.  Nora decided to accept the extra weight as a pregnancy battle wound, like her stretchmarks.  Really, Nora knew how blessed she was to have those extra pounds and stretchmarks due to pregnancy.  She had several friends who couldn't have children and wanted them.

Paul's sigh drew Nora back from her thoughts.  "I know you've never cared about our age difference and for that I'm thankful."  He paused.

Nora was watching his face with intensity.  He had something big on his mind.  She knew she just needed to be patient.  He would tell her whatever was on his mind in his own time.

PART 2

A new story with no name

This story doesn't have a name yet.  It is certainly a work in progress.  It is the first time I've tried to write an adult fiction, meaning a non-children's story.  I don't know if it is any good and I will be adding to it and changing it as I go along. 

Synopsis:  Paul and Nora have been happily married for fifteen years.  They have a nice home, good jobs and three sons.  But one day, more than seventeen years after his first marriage ended, Paul discovers that his first wife and him have a daughter.  She is a girl on the verge of high school graduation and womanhood.  Paul and Nora must come to terms with this new addition to the family.

Disclaimer:  The story is my own and it is a rough work in progress.

Comments are welcome.

Part 1

Merry and the Doctor: all chapters

Welcome to "Merry and the Doctor," a Doctor Who fanfic.

Introduction: Merry felt nothing but dispair after her husband and children died from a mysterious illness. Then a man in a green Edwardian velvet coat, who called himself The Doctor, arrived on Merry's doorstep with a promise to help her.  He takes her to a planet where the people are dying of the same illness that killed her own family. Merry and the Doctor race against time to find the cure before more people die.

Disclaimer: Doctor Who, the Doctor and the TARDIS are not mine.  They belong to the BBC, but the rest of the characters and the story are my own original creations.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8

Thank you for reading.  Feel free to leave comments.  Like?  Didn't like?  Spelling mistakes?