Happiness in Fragments
Henry received a call from his mother—she asked him to hang a shelf in her kitchen. The next day, he stopped by, but she wasn’t home. The door was unlocked, just as she’d said. The shelf was there, as promised, but the drill… Where was it? Perhaps in the loft, crammed with old junk.
He climbed onto a chair, opened the hatch—and there it was! He tugged at the cord, but it tangled, and the drill slipped, knocking over a vase. It shattered into pieces. Henry cursed under his breath, knowing how much his mother cherished it. He swept up the shards, hung the shelf, and left. Over the phone, he promised to buy her a new vase for Mother’s Day. But she wouldn’t let it go—she lamented about it for ages.
Weeks passed, but he couldn’t find a matching vase anywhere. On the last Saturday before the holiday, he finally spotted it—in the hands of a young woman. The shopkeeper said it was the last one left. Henry approached, apologised, and honestly explained how he’d broken the vase and that his mother would never forgive him if he didn’t replace it.
The woman, named Emily, paused, then smiled and handed it to him. “Take it—save yourself from your mum’s scolding.” She picked another one, and Henry took the one he needed.
On their way out, they struck up a conversation. He cracked a joke; she laughed. Before long, he invited her over—to his mother’s for Mother’s Day. Emily seemed surprised but agreed.
The next day, they arrived together. His mother was delighted with the gift and even more so with Emily. “See, love? Everything happens for a reason—no broken vase, no lovely girl by your side,” she chuckled.
From that day on, Henry’s life changed. He and Emily spent more time together—walking in the park, discussing films and books, making plans. He introduced her to his daughter, visiting for the holidays, and thankfully, they got on straight away. Emily was touched by Henry’s kindness and the way he cared for her. And his mother often reminisced about that day, insisting the shattered vase had been fate’s doing. Emily marvelled too at how one chance encounter could lead to something so meaningful.
Six months later, they married—a small, heartfelt celebration. Henry’s mother raised a toast, thanking fate once more for that broken vase. And as Henry looked at his wife, he knew he’d found the one he’d been waiting for. Every time he passed that shelf, he smiled, remembering how a single accident had led him to a happiness he’d never dared to hope for.
Sometimes, the cracks in life aren’t mistakes—they’re the paths to something even better.
