Her name was Cherry; his was Barry. So it was quite natural for their first date to be at the local drive-in where they ordered Cherry-berry drinks. It had been thumbs-up for two years. Natural for marriage in the making, and plans began.
“This is not a ‘Chicken Little – The Sky is Falling’ tale,” thought Cherry. “It can’t be that drastic; life will go on. But maybe it would be better to go on without Berry.”
For three months, they had made wedding plans. Trouble came with every decision. Berry was so traditional. He couldn’t see past roses – roses – roses. For him R O S E S was the only way to spell romance!
“What right does he have to make decisions about my wedding. Weddings are for brides,” she mumbled to herself.
He wanted gold wedding rings; she wanted silver. He wanted embossed invitations; she wanted engraved. He wanted a honeymoon; she wanted a down payment on a house. He wanted to be married in church; she wanted to be married in the park. He wanted to get married on February 14th; she wanted May 4th.
That was the problem in a nutshell. He wanted two hearts intertwined; she still wanted some independence. A wedding is not the way to celebrate independence.
Was she just being Chicken Little? Or, was the sky falling? What say you?
************ The sky didn’t fall. They got married. She settled for gold rings; he agreed to engraved invitations. They decided to save for a honeymoon cruise, and made a down payment on a house. They got married in the park in June when all the new roses were in bloom.
************ Fourteen years later, Berry’s best friend, Hank, laughs at him when he says he will have to talk to Cherry about whether to join the tennis club. Their twelve year old, Dana, sighs when mom says she will have to talk to dad about whether Dana can go to a sleepover.
But the marriage is going and growing long and strong, because Berry and Cherry found out that marriages are made more solid by learning to compromise on wedding plans.
A side note, Hank and Patty are divorced. Dana, is learning the value of marriage partners who respect each other’s opinion.
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Fiction, fiction, my blogging friends. No Cherry, Berry, Hank, Patty, or Dana known by this author who loves fairy tale endings. 😀
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Tell the Story Challenge:
I was nominated by Yinglan to participate in this challenge. The rules of this challenge are: 1) write something in response to the photo you are given, and 2) pick a picture of your own and nominate three people. (Sorry, Yinglan, don’t have time to pass this on. Thanks for sending it to me.) If anyone wants to join in this challenge, use Yinglan’s picture above, and pass on the challenge.
https://yzhengblog.wordpress.com/2019/01/17/tell-the-story-challenge-guardian-angel
Photo by Oleg Ivanov on Unsplash
I also received nomination from https://teleportingweena.wordpress.com/2019/01/17/tell-a-story-challenge-traffic-cop/ Perhaps you would like to take her picture and keep her challenge going.
Sweet aroma 
And they lived happily ever after😂
Yep, I’m your happy-ever-after woman. Sixty-five years married happily – well, not every day but every year. 😀
I still have thirty years to catch you. Not sure will be alive till then but hope it will be Cherry and Barry😂
Wanting that goal is a good start toward working out the kinks that come along the way. Teetotaler toast to a long (lifetime) marriage for you!
Thank you.
Thanks for reflective but interesting fiction story.
Thanks, dear Faye.
You told a lovely of what it takes to make a marriage work…compromise.
Thanks also for the mention, Oneta!
Hope your Saturday is going good! 🙂
Thank you. I might still get back to yours. It looks challenging. 😀 I liked your post about cats and TV today. Interesting. I haven’t much experience with cats.
and the “its a story” explanation was just fine, for reals though people need to communicate not just do whatever they want, we had our 27th anniv. yesterday, it takes lots of compromise
If one always gets his/her way, there is an explosion awaiting. Better to learn early to give and take. Congratulations on your 27th! I had been married 38 years when you got married. Unbelievable! Where do the years go!
the years fly by after they drag slowly, how that happens i do not know 🙂
😀
I do love a great story with a happy ending! Thank you!
You write ’em; I’ll read ’em. 😀
I kind of like it the other way around!
You met the challenge and then some, Oneta.
Thank you, dear Roo. Your words mean much to me. 😀
Aw… I’m just saying 😊
I love your take on this picture, Oneta! Thank you so much again for participating. I am glad everything worked out for those two and I absolutely agree, marriage is about compromising. I just sometimes wish it’s that easy in real life.
One has to love another as much or more than he/she loves him/herself. No place for selfishness. That’s what makes compromise possible – wanting to see the other person have choices. No, not easy in this “ME” first culture. Believe me, I’ve had to work at it.
I agree.