Sierra V. Fedorko

The first novelette in our Green Fables series…

---

He risked his heart for ages and finally had enough. It was time to forget and he spent a decade relinquishing himself and losing his heart. But then, he’s reawakened by humans and their loud, vivacious, aching life. What if he remembered? Was there more to him than his bitter dream and agonizing existence? And even if the story proved beautiful and worth every wound, could he risk his heart for one more lifetime?

---

Since Ben and I moved into our little blue house in Spring 2016 I’ve watched us and everything grow.

It’s a beautiful time lapse in my mind with terribly hollow seasons that always left an aftermath of God’s hope and healing in their wake.

And in that wake the porch garden spilled into the yard and we chanced the roses in the ground and Ben made a gate from scraps, and we laughed at our lopsided flowerbed, and soon brought our son home to flowers.

We’d hang a baby swing and soon we would need a big kid swing. I’d choose a rose for my daughter and she’d lie on her colorful quilt until she danced by the rose bush that belongs to her.

And then we would have another daughter, I’d choose another rose, and she’d love the garden pinwheel stuck in the ground next to that pink lemonade rose bush of hers.

And the stories just keep going, and this garden could be a book, and this life could fill its pages…

So, I’m going to write it.☺️

While there is plenty of fiction and folktale and fable throughout The Heart of Hugh (launching March 31st!), it’s been wonderful to weave in bits and pieces of our timeline, our love story, and our life together.

But while you read The Heart of Hugh this spring, my hope is not that you see my story playing out, but that you would find your own story peeking through the chapters in profound and meaningful ways that bring comfort or cause a smile or make you look twice at something you hadn’t thought about before.

The dreamer, or Harriet, or even the Oak Tree itself may be where you see yourself, but I simply hope that you stumble into your own story while reading this one.🪾💐

---

The Heart of Hugh will be released chapter by chapter to your inbox beginning March 31 when you’re subscribed to Green Fables. (You don’t need a Substack to subscribe. This is just like signing up to a newsletter list. Just type in your email. The Green Fables series is free.)