Ashley Sengalliesi

School: Trumbull High School
Grade: 12 th grade
This is my first year attending the Connecticut Writing Project
I enjoyed working with all different kinds of people that have a common ground, they love writing. What I learned was that to be a writer is not to simply write words on a page, but to bring your own voice in, and to shape the language to fit the tone of the piece.

Lemon Bars :

Lena glanced at the clock and saw that it was nearly ten o’clock at night, and still her husband had not come home from the office. She cleared away the silverware and the stemware glass that was put out for Scott to have a swig of red wine in. Lena knew that after a long day at the office, all Scott really needed was a fresh pair of socks, some meatloaf and some red wine to calm his nerves. But it was almost ten fifteen and still Scott did not hang up his jacket and collapse on the sofa while she poured his drink and heated up his meatloaf. It was a Tuesday night, and Lena had made her famous lemon squares for dessert, and she was upset when he had not come home to enjoy them. Her kids wolfed each bite of lemon and sugar down so fast, even after the lengthy meal. Her son Grant had pleaded with her to let him have the last few pieces of dessert, but she unwillingly refused and set them aside for Scott.

The clock chimed ten thirty, and she sat at the kitchen table, and dialed Scott’s office line, after ten of eleven rings, the familiar inbox picked up, and she left a soft sweet message that she missed him, and hoped he would come home soon. Shortly after hanging up the phone she heard the garage door open, and Scott’s Lexus pull into his parking space, and the recycling bin fall over as the bumper of his car pushed it into the cement wall.

“Stupid thing.” He cursed softly to himself so he wouldn’t wake the children. When he walked in he saw his wife standing at the table, and she pulled off her apron to embrace his soaked trench coat. “You didn’t have to wait up for me.” She smiled and kissed the side of his cheek.

“Yes I did, I made lemon squares tonight, your favorite.” He turned not facing her and pulled off his coat and did not see her pat down her hair and wipe the side of her lip, to remove any excess lipstick.

“Is it only Tuesday? This week feels like it has been going on for eternity.” She moved around him to grab all the plates of food she had made for him, and began heating it up.

“Grant has soccer practice tomorrow, and I won’t be able to go to watch because Sophia and Marie are going shopping for dresses, their dance is next Friday night, and I have no time during the week.” When the microwave chimed she put together a plate for him of piping hot meatloaf, steaming green beans, and a heap of mashed potatoes, and a large slice of homemade bread. There was a dollop of burgundy wine in his glass which he chose to sip at the end of the meal.
“Why can’t you go shopping during the week?” He began shoveling food into his mouth and washed it down with a glass of water she catered to him.

“Because I have to go grocery shopping, pick up the dry cleaning, you need that suit hemmed, and I have a million other things to do, and I would appreciate it if you would bring Grant to practice. I don’t understand why you need to always be at the office after hours, even though there are some times you don’t have all that much to catch up on. Please, just please watch your son play, he is very good; and he always tells me how much he wants you to come.” He had ignored her, and just kept eating, and not listening to her tell him about their son and all the things that he had done at the game last Saturday. He didn’t listen to her tell him how Sophia and Marie had both gotten straight A’s and how Marie had told her mother that she had been talking to Jason in her math class a lot more.

“That’s wonderful dear.” He said not paying any attention. “I have a long day tomorrow, I’m going to bed.” And without saying anything else to her, he got up and left, and closed the door tightly behind him. She stood there for a long time, and said nothing and didn’t move, just thinking about what she was going to say next. She walked down the hallway panicking and holding her breath so she wouldn’t scream out loud, and opened her bed room door, and found Scott standing there untying his tie.

“What is her name?” She asked and waited for him to answer. He gave her a long look and he raced through his mind, should he lie, or should he just say the word.

“ Lena, what are you talking about?” He had ruined any chance of making things right now. He was in far too deep, he had lied and she knew it. “I don’t know what has gotten into you.” He turned to hang up his tie.
“I want to know.”