By Heidi Williamson
Unexpectedly there were complications. / Expectedly the doctors said to abort. /
Unexpectedly the mother did not. / Expectedly given the situation at birth the girl’s mother /
was a glass case. Unexpectedly the girl / warmed to the glass. Expectedly / she was young.
Expectedly / there were complications. / Unexpectedly her mother moved out. / Unexpectedly
the mother was unhappy. / Expectedly she had an affair. / Expectedly there were tears. /
Unexpectedly one day the girl’s mother / moved back in. / Expectedly this did not go well. /
Expectedly the mother moved back out. / And expectedly moved in with her new man. / The
mother’s new house was expectedly rich. / Her old expectedly poor. / The mother became
expectant, expectedly. / Unexpectedly the new baby was wonderful. / The new baby became
expectedly young. / Expectedly there were complications. / Unexpectedly the mother did not
move out. / Instead expectedly she stayed. / Expectedly there was another new baby. /
Expectedly this new baby was also wonderful. / The new parents, the old parents, the new
children, / the old children unexpectedly got along. / Unexpectedly they all grew into
wonderful people. / Then unexpectedly the mother had to miss / the glass daughter’s
wedding. / Unexpectedly but expectedly / the glass daughter had asked the mother not to
come. / The mother did not expect this. / Expectedly time passed. / Unexpectedly time
passed./ Expectedly and unexpectedly later became sooner. / One day the glass daughter
unexpectedly / called her mother. Expectedly there was a lot / of shouting. They also spoke to
each other unexpectedly. / In ways that were unexpectedly painful. / And expectedly so. /
Expectedly a good story ends here. / Expectedly there is happiness. / Unexpectedly this story
is conclusive / and inconclusive. Later the mother / expectedly dies. Later still the daughter /
unexpectedly dies. Each sorrow here / is unexpected and expected. / Each gratitude expected /
and unexpected. You may take / a little of each or neither / expectedly and unexpectedly /
from this true story.
Heidi Williamson is a poet, tutor and RLF Advisory Fellow. In an alternative reality she is a physicist grey tabby cat assigned to NCC-1701-D.
Art by Izzy Walter.
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