Shorties: 15 Minute Reads

By Eleni Johnson

A collection of heartfelt short stories about love, life and happy endings, to enjoy in your tea break or for a relaxing read at any time.

Message in a Bottle - A trip to the beach takes an unexpected turn.
The Rendezvous - Friday 13th doesn't have to be unlucky, or does it?
Spring - An unusual visitor helps Annie through a difficult day.
Full Circle - Molly plays detective when she takes a trip to France for her Gran.
The Colour of Love - Mum's secret past changes everything.
It's Never Too Late for Love - Jean tries to reconcile herself with the past, but is she too late?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Eleni Johnson
• Release date: Apr 30, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310433535

Eleni Johnson

Eleni Johnson was born in the New Forest in Hampshire (UK). She is a freelance writer. She is passionate about writing and has been doing so, since she was a child, but has only just started publishing her fiction work. When she is not writing, she enjoys travelling with her two dogs, reading, photography and spending time with her family. She also likes cake!

Book preview

Shorties

15 Minute Reads

Book One

Eleni Johnson

Published by SIJ Publishing

elenijohnson.com

Distributed by Smashwords

Copyright © 2023 Eleni Johnson

All Rights Reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission. Except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Please visit www.elenijohnson.com for contact details.

The Colour of Love:

First published in Take a Break Fiction Feast, February 2015

Table of Contents

Dedications

Message in a Bottle

The Rendezvous

Spring

Full Circle

The Colour of Love

It's Never Too Late For Love

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The Tiger Moth Spirit

Dedications

Message in a Bottle

To Kayleigh Hannah Louise Blackmore

who sadly got her angel wings on 17th July 1995

It’s Never Too Late for Love

To James Walter Johnson

who joined his true love on 18 August 2013

This Book

To my daughter, Nicola, whose courage inspired me to pursue my dreams x

Message in a Bottle

No matter what the season, Megan always headed for the beach when she needed to think. The fresh salty air and rhythmic lapping of the waves soothed her soul, even if her problems remained unsolved. The sea reminded her of happy childhood holidays sailing the family yacht. Memories of sunbathing upon the wooden deck, feeling the warmth of the sun, while the wind filled the sails and the boat sliced smoothly through the sea. But life wasn’t plain sailing at the moment, Jack was pushing her for an answer and she didn’t have one.

Megan paddled along the water’s edge, flip-flops in her hand and her long blonde hair loosely fastened in a pink scrunchie. She stopped for a moment and gazed out to sea. Not a single boat was to be seen, just an emptiness which matched her own. She watched a solitary gull glide into the distance, where the murky sea kissed the cloudy sky. The waves splashed over her feet and soon the coldness became a pleasant tingle, as she curled her toes into the sand, lost in her thoughts.

The sun danced in and out of the clouds and a burst of brightness made her squint, bringing her back to the present. She shaded her eyes and wished for decent weather on their trip to Europe. Jack had said they deserved a special treat, but suggested they go after the summer, to avoid the crowds. Also, Megan thought, to avoid the families with children. She only hoped he didn’t keep on about adopting, she wasn’t ready and the tension between them would spoil the holiday. She knew Jack was desperate to be a father, but she just couldn’t face the future, not yet.

After a long walk towards the quiet end of the beach, where she crossed paths with the occasional dog walker, Megan looked at her watch and realised she had better head home. Jack would be back from his squash match soon and they had agreed to do a holiday checklist, before they went out for supper.

The tide was coming in and had pushed her higher up the beach and as she bent down to scoop up a pretty shell, she spotted a glass bottle in the sand. It had a blue and white chequered lid and was the size of one of the mini bottles of wine she kept in the cupboard for cooking. She noticed some rolled up parchment inside, tied with red ribbon, and her heart fluttered with excitement. She had always wanted to find a real message in a bottle and crossed her fingers for something good.

After some effort, she got the paper out and unravelled it with anticipation, hoping it wasn’t a dull old advert or some other, equally disappointing message, but it read:

‘On 20th August 1995, I gave birth to the most beautiful little girl, Emma Louise. Unfortunately, only a few short hours after she was