Excited that the kids were coming for the holiday weekend, Lars grabbed the broom and started cleaning.
Finally finished, he poured himself a beer, admiring the fruits of his labor. Sadness settled over him, as he remembered his wife wouldn’t be there to meet their new grandson.
Cancer had taken Mabel the year before. Lars had never cooked or cleaned before she had taken ill. He’d become pretty good at it. Their home felt empty without her.
Shouts from the doorway interrupted his melancholy. As Karina and her husband placed the baby in his arms, the house filled with love.
I created this story using the words broom, holiday, and fruit. I took a little license with the word fruit, making it plural.
I think these are the strongest sentences in the piece: "Lars had never cooked or cleaned before she had taken ill. He’d become pretty good at it. Their home felt empty without her."
The act of cleaning is a symbol of domestic life. That Lars does the cleaning now drives home the point that his wife is gone.
He grabbed The broom lets you fall right into the story. I was there beside him. I could even smell The baby at The end. Well done😍