Relationship Discord

A Flash Fiction Story

“I don’t believe you,” said Fannie.

Zachariah’s girlfriend was sitting on the sofa, hugging one of the beige throw pillows in her lap. She was wearing a teal pantsuit, 2-inch gold hoop earrings, and her soft curls were piled high on her head. A Heineken bottle cap peeked out from under the sofa. They were in his tent up in Glenwood Springs. It was the annual jazz festival. He was the trumpet player in the Z Boy Quartet. It was his band.

He started it when he and his boys were back in high school twenty-five years ago. Ronnie on bass. Trent, piano. And Jackson on drums. Every once in a while, Zachariah brought in Fannie to do vocals. He did that sometimes when she was mad at him for something or another. Yet it wasn’t only an appeasement tool. His girl had vocals. She could be a musical icon if that’s what she wanted. Though she always told him, that’s not what she needed. Not what she desired.

Meanwhile, after a lot of small-time gigs and playing in rundown nightclubs, Z Boy Quartet finally hit the big time. The premier Colorado music fest. But it was raining now. The show was delayed. And the heavy raindrops on the cloth tent had a staccato beat.

His boys had left a while ago for the bar to wait out the delay. Zachariah wasn’t worried about them getting drunk before the set. They would keep it to club soda or coffee. Most likely, they were seeing what action they could get with some of the fine ladies walking around the venue.

Which brings him back to his argument with Fannie. She witnessed one of those women in her, yes, skin-tight and oh-so-fine dress with her arms wrapped around his shoulders. What Fannie didn’t see before she stormed off was Zachariah, firmly but politely, declining the woman’s explicit offer.

Instead, he came to his tent to find Fannie waiting for him, fuming, sitting on the couch. He told her what had happened and she said what she said. And before he could make his case, she threw the small pillow she was holding aside and picked up the gun lying in her lap.

It was the Glock 43X he had bought her for her birthday six months ago. With the world going crazy like it was, he wanted her to be able to protect herself. He never imagined she would use it on him.

Zachariah shook his head in disbelief. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He took a step back. His silk shirt damp and sticking to his skin. “I told you I didn’t know that woman.”

“It doesn’t matter. If it wasn’t her tonight, it would be another woman someplace else.”

Zachariah wanted to tell her that was insane. There had never been another woman. His boys would have attested to that. Sure, there were lots of offers, but not once in their 25 years together did Zachariah step out on Fannie.

Not once.

But he didn’t get the chance to tell her, because she pulled the trigger.

️ ©️ 2026 Francelia Belton. All rights reserved.