Snowman

"Why are you-" began Carly, but she stopped in mid-sentence. Sandra pulled away from the embrace to look at her daughter's face. Carly stared up at her mother with wide-eyed innocence for a moment, then ran back next door into her own room. She checked behind her to make sure Sandra hadn't followed, then she picked up the snowglobe and asked it in a whisper, "Why is she so sad?" She waited, as if expecting an answer, then continued matter-of-factly; "I get lonely sometimes too. 'Specially when Mum doesn't let me go and play in the snow with my friends, like now." So Carly was pleased when, the next day, she was taken back to school. All of the teachers seemed to be paying her extra attention too. Every day that week, she enjoyed her classes and looked forward to the next day of school. Every evening spent with her mourning, wearied mother made her long to go back there, to play with her happy, energetic friends. And every morning before school, she left the snowglobe behind on her bed, telling it, "Give Mum some company."

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