The little girl hoped desperately to please them. She knew they were still angry with her for what she did last week and that their trust was gone.
There were many family and friends coming over to celebrate. It was Christmas Eve and her mother was no longer sick. The house was decorated with lights and fresh green wreaths. She loved the smell of those wreaths. Everyone was hurriedly making last minute preparations in the kitchen. She thought it best if she stay out of the way.
She sat quietly in the living room staring at the tall tree when her eyes were drawn to the picture. The one of her grandmother she had never met. The one everyone said she looked so much alike. She slightly hesitated, but knew she would be careful and wanted a closer look. Nothing could go wrong when she was trying so hard to be good. Right? She was five now after all.
But she slipped and she dropped the picture. The glass shattered. Her first reaction was to look around. Did anyone see it? Did anyone hear it? But they were all too busy. She gathered up all the pieces and ran down the hall to her room.
If she could only fix it. Put it back exactly as it was before. Then they wouldn't be angry. Disappointed in her. They would still love her. She desperately looked around the room for something...oh yes, tape! She ran to the kitchen and grabbed the tape unnoticed. She ran back to her room and oh so carefully began to put the picture back in the frame, placing the clear tape on top of the glass.
"Perfect.", she thought and held it up to inspect her work. But when she held it up a piece fell out and it didn't look like before.
There was a slight knock at the door. "Are you ready for the party?" It was her father. The man whose mother's picture she had broken. The one she had lied to last week about another broken item. The one she wanted so much to please.
She began to cry. As her father opened the door, she ran to him and held up the broken picture. And she began to cry harder.
Her father took the broken offering in one arm and in the other he scooped her up. "It's OK little one. I can fix this. Together we can make it better."
He went to his room and came back with another picture frame. The one with a place for two pictures. One space held her picture and the other was empty. Her mother had bought it with such excitement and hope for another child before she got sick. The one that had been tucked away in a drawer once it began to bring tears instead of joy.
"Let's put it in here", he said. "We'll use your tape."
There were many family and friends coming over to celebrate. It was Christmas Eve and her mother was no longer sick. The house was decorated with lights and fresh green wreaths. She loved the smell of those wreaths. Everyone was hurriedly making last minute preparations in the kitchen. She thought it best if she stay out of the way.
She sat quietly in the living room staring at the tall tree when her eyes were drawn to the picture. The one of her grandmother she had never met. The one everyone said she looked so much alike. She slightly hesitated, but knew she would be careful and wanted a closer look. Nothing could go wrong when she was trying so hard to be good. Right? She was five now after all.
But she slipped and she dropped the picture. The glass shattered. Her first reaction was to look around. Did anyone see it? Did anyone hear it? But they were all too busy. She gathered up all the pieces and ran down the hall to her room.
If she could only fix it. Put it back exactly as it was before. Then they wouldn't be angry. Disappointed in her. They would still love her. She desperately looked around the room for something...oh yes, tape! She ran to the kitchen and grabbed the tape unnoticed. She ran back to her room and oh so carefully began to put the picture back in the frame, placing the clear tape on top of the glass.
"Perfect.", she thought and held it up to inspect her work. But when she held it up a piece fell out and it didn't look like before.
There was a slight knock at the door. "Are you ready for the party?" It was her father. The man whose mother's picture she had broken. The one she had lied to last week about another broken item. The one she wanted so much to please.
She began to cry. As her father opened the door, she ran to him and held up the broken picture. And she began to cry harder.
Her father took the broken offering in one arm and in the other he scooped her up. "It's OK little one. I can fix this. Together we can make it better."
He went to his room and came back with another picture frame. The one with a place for two pictures. One space held her picture and the other was empty. Her mother had bought it with such excitement and hope for another child before she got sick. The one that had been tucked away in a drawer once it began to bring tears instead of joy.
"Let's put it in here", he said. "We'll use your tape."
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