by Marie Anderson
Sloane knits a pink hat for Mama’s birthday. She tucks the hat over Mama’s fuzzy head.
“So soft and warm!” Mama exclaims. “I’ll wear it always!”
“Just ‘til your chemo curls grow, Mama. You’ll be cured. Right?”
“Absolutely,” Mama says, crossing her fingers under the blanket to offset the lie.

© 2026 Marie Anderson All rights reserved.
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..a well crafted short. I wanted the story to go on.
So bittersweet and well written. So much punch in 50 words!
Wow Marie you say so much with so little!
WOW! So much here in just 50 words. Well done, Marie!
Great story! Good dialogue and strong verbs
Short, sweet, and dark. Marie has a way to tell a story and pack a punch even with only 50 words.