You pause mid-write and glance up. You realise this is a café for babies. The noise level has risen since you first arrived. At the neighbouring table, you notice the glow of mother, supportive friend and sister. Cooing over their little miracle. Listing all the ways to settle them when they cry.
Do a little dance while you hold them, it helps. Mother gets up to demonstrate. Everyone laughs. It’s a joyful moment. You look on at the periphery wanting to write but momentarily enchanted by this matriarchal cocoon.
He’s just hungry. Mother pulls down her vest and starts breastfeeding him. You can smell the warm scent of milk and skin. You almost wish…but then don’t, not really. Motherhood was not meant for you. You have only just learned to mother yourself. Still, the view from the other side is green. So green.
*
© N S. Nazir 2026
*I am delighted that Wildfire Words decided to publish this piece along with one other I submitted, Let Me Sleep on it, for their latest Flash Fiction 150 competition. All entries to be no more than 150 words. There were two prizes, one for best write and one for best audio. It was wonderful enough for me that they published both in the online anthology. But in a lovely twist, I also won Audio Runner-up for the piece When You’re Ambushed by Could-Have-Beens. Plus a little payment of £15. Which will buy me a few coffees while I’m writing. Thank you, Wildfire Words ❤️
*If you wish, you can check out and listen to both pieces along with the winning entries and all those published in the anthology if you scroll down a little and click on the author’s name. I hope you enjoy them.
*Wildfire Words also have a few other submission calls, themed and unthemed, which you may be interested in. Definitely worth a look-see.
Hope you are all bearing up in these very mixed-up times and may your art be a way through the madness of it all 🌟
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