Home Stories A guy named Fred who’s interested in a woman named Martha.

A guy named Fred who’s interested in a woman named Martha.

Stories · February 10, 2026 · 0 Comment

A guy named Fred who’s interested in a woman named Martha. He asks her out to a movie, and she says yes. They have a great time.

A few days later, they go out to dinner and enjoy themselves again. They start seeing each other regularly, and before long, they’re no longer dating anyone else. Then, one evening while driving home, Martha suddenly realizes something and says aloud, “Do you know that tonight marks exactly six months since we started seeing each other?”

Silence fills the car.

To Martha, the silence is deafening. She starts to worry: Is he upset that I mentioned it? Maybe he feels trapped in this relationship, or perhaps he thinks I’m pressuring him into something he’s not ready for.

Meanwhile, Fred is thinking: Wow, six months already. Martha, now even more anxious, thinks: But wait, am I really sure I want this relationship to continue? Sometimes I wish I had more space to figure out what I truly want.

Where is this going? Are we heading toward marriage? Children?

A lifetime together? Am I ready for that? Do I even know this guy?

And Fred? He’s thinking: Let’s see, that means we started dating in February, right after I got the car serviced. I wonder if I’m due for an oil change.

Martha’s mind races: He’s upset. I can tell. Maybe he wants more from this relationship, more commitment, but he’s afraid I don’t feel the same way.

Maybe he’s sensed my hesitation before I even realized it myself. Fred is still lost in thought: I should have the transmission checked again. It’s not shifting smoothly, and I don’t care what those mechanics say—it’s definitely not the weather causing it.

It’s 87 degrees outside, for crying out loud. Martha, feeling increasingly guilty, thinks: He’s angry, and I can’t blame him. I’ve put him through so much, and I’m still not sure how I feel.

Fred, still thinking about his car, realizes: They’ll probably tell me the warranty’s expired. Those scumbags. Martha, nearly in tears, thinks: Maybe I’m being unrealistic, waiting for a knight in shining armor when I’m sitting right next to a good man.

A man who cares about me, and whom I care about too. And now I’m hurting him with my silly, romantic fantasies. Fred is now thinking: Warranty?

I’ll show them a warranty…
“Fred,” Martha says softly. “What?” Fred replies, startled. “Please don’t torture yourself like this,” Martha says, her eyes filling with tears.

Js White

Related Posts
Stories

A 10-Year-Old Boy Kept Begging to Remove His Cast as His Family Thought He Was Imagining the Pain — Until the Nanny Broke It Open and Revealed the Truth No One Wanted to See

· February 11, 2026 · 0 Comment

The sound began long before anyone understood what it meant—a dull, repetitive thud echoing through the quiet house after midnight. It wasn’t playful, not the careless knocking…

Stories

My son texted, “Cancel dinner,” but when I got to the restaurant, I found them eating secretly without me, and I was paying. I didn’t yell. I smiled, asked the manager for a minute, and brought out a “surprise” that made all the plates stop in mid-air. My name is Edith Thornberry. I’m 78, a widow in Blue Springs, and I still wake up at first light like the day has something to prove. Some mornings my joints hurt so bad I have to brace a hand on the counter just to make tea, but I still bake on Wednesdays blueberry pie, always because my grandson Reed shows up just to sit with me and talk. Reed is the only one who visits without a request attached. My son Wesley comes when he needs help with “paperwork” or a “small loan” he never repays, and my daughter Thelma stops by once a month with her eyes on the clock, like love is something you schedule between errands. That Wednesday, Reed sat at my kitchen table, fork in hand, and asked, “Grandma, have you decided what you’re going to wear on Friday?” I blinked. “Friday?” He froze. “Dinner at Willow Creek. Mom and Dad’s anniversary. Didn’t Dad tell you?”. A cold little thread pulled tight inside my chest, but I kept my smile in place like I’ve practiced my whole life. Later that afternoon, Wesley finally called. He sounded strained, almost rushed, and said they had to cancel the anniversary dinner because Kora was sick with a virus and “the doctor said a week of rest.” I offered to bring soup, to help, to do what mothers do when they’re still trying to be useful. He cut me off. “No, Mom. We’re fine. I just wanted you to know.” Then he hung up before I could say goodbye. Something about the call felt wrong, not dramatic wrong, just… polished. That evening I called Thelma casually, and she hesitated too long before she said, “Yeah, sure,” about Friday, like she was reading from a script she hadn’t memorized. The next day at the supermarket, Doris Simmons an old acquaintance from Thelma’s flower shop hugged me and chirped, “Thelma’s taking tomorrow night off for the big thirty-year celebration!” I nodded and smiled while my stomach dropped through the floor. When Reed called again looking for his blue notebook, he casually said, “Dad’s picking you up tomorrow, right?” and my hands went numb around the phone. I whispered, “Reed… Wesley told me it was canceled. Kora’s sick.” Reed went quiet. “Grandma, Dad called me an hour ago. He said be at Willow Creek by seven.” So that was the truth. I wasn’t forgotten. I was removed. Friday morning, Wesley called again with that too cheerful voice, checking if I “needed anything” and hinting I should stay home and rest. I told him I’d spend the evening reading, and I could practically hear his relief. By five o’clock, my decision was made. I put on the dark blue dress I hadn’t worn since George’s funeral, fastened my pearls, and took a cab to Willow Creek. I didn’t go straight to the front door. I walked around to the side where the cars were parked, and there they were Wesley’s Lexus, Thelma’s Ford, Reed’s old Honda lined up like proof. Through a small gap in the curtain, I saw Kora laughing, healthy, glowing, raising a champagne glass like sickness had never existed. I stood in the shadows under the trees, the river air cool on my face, and I realized this wasn’t just one night. This was a pattern. And then, right as I squared my shoulders to walk in, someone behind me said my name like it mattered. “Edith?” I turned… and saw Lewis Quinnland, the man who runs Willow Creek, looking at me like he already knew something was wrong. Full story below See less Comments Author Chambers Wolfe Maher Read here: https://discoverstoryscape.com/my-son-texted-dinner…/… See more My son texted, ‘Dinner canceled,’ but when I arrived at the restaurant, I discovered they were secretly eating without me, and I was paying. I didn’t yell. I smiled, asked the manager for a minute, and brought a ‘surprise’ that made every f DISCOVERSTORYSCAPE.COM My son texted, ‘Dinner canceled,’ but when I arrived at the restaurant, I discovered they were secretly eating without me, and I was paying. I didn’t yell. I smiled, asked the manager for a minute, and brought a ‘surprise’ that made every f My son texted, ‘Dinner canceled,’ but when I arrived at the restaurant, I discovered they were secretly eating without me, and I was paying. I didn’t yell. I smiled, asked the manager for a minute, and brought a ‘surprise’ that made every f 1d Reply Ann Ogier Rest of story covered in adverts. 10h Reply Billy Esparza Sounds like my family 1d Reply Aquilla Thomas Next part 1d Reply Fred Kressman Sad 1d Reply

· February 11, 2026 · 0 Comment

Mornings in Blue Springs always start the same way. I wake up at first light when most of my neighbors are still asleep. At 78, one appreciates…

Stories

My Brother Left His Son in My Care — 22 Years Later, He Returned to a Painful Surprise

· February 11, 2026 · 0 Comment

When tragedy struck, Margaret’s quiet life changed forever. After losing her daughter Anna in a plane crash, she suddenly became the guardian of her three-year-old grandson, Ethan….

Stories

Three mischievous old grannies were sitting on a bench outside a nursing home when an old grandpa walked by.

· February 11, 2026 · 0 Comment

Three mischievous old grannies were sitting on a bench outside a nursing home when an old grandpa walked by. One of the grannies shouted: “Hey there! We…

Stories

A Mother’s Lesson on Love, Loss, and Letting Go

· February 11, 2026 · 0 Comment

When my son passed away four months ago, my world changed in ways I never imagined. He left behind his wife, Lynn, and their two little ones,…

Stories

After 31 Years of Marriage, I Found a Key to a Storage Unit with Its Number in My Husband’s Old Wallet – I Went There Without Telling Him

· February 11, 2026 · 0 Comment

I thought I knew every secret my husband carried until I discovered a key I’d never seen before. My marriage and the man I built my life…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *