“Look, honey, Grandma sent you a birthday card. Want me to read it to you?”
She slipped the bills out of the card and into her pocket as she walked down the hall, waving the colorful card around. Tomorrow, after her husband headed to work and she’d done the school drop off, she’d call her mother and confess.
“Yay, Grandma! Look, Mommy, it has a puppy on the front.”
“Put your card in your room and go get your shoes. We’re going to the grocery store.”
“Can I have candy?”
Calculations flew through her mind. Pasta. Meat. Jar of sauce.
“Sure.”
Love this! Well done.
There is a sad reality to every detail of this story. Nicely done!
Thank you for reading, and especially those who took the time to comment.
Excellent. I like how you’ve managed to create a rounded character and conveyed her conflicts within the 101 words restriction. She swipes the money (needs must), but she’ll confess to her mother the next day and still buy her kid candy.
Karen, this is all too real. The grandmother was able to buy more than candy for the daughter, but also an entire meal for the family. The daughter was excited for the card from her grandmother and was not even worried about money at all. All needs were met, but it does sadden me that the mother feels turmoil for the need to provide for her family.
Beautifully written… touching, sweet and simple.