Happiness in Pieces
Andrew got a call from his mum—she asked him to put up a shelf in the kitchen. The next day, he dropped by her place, but she wasn’t home. The flat was unlocked with his key. The shelf was there, just as she’d said, but the drill… Where was it? Probably in the loft, stuffed with old junk.
He climbed onto a chair, opened the hatch—and there it was, the drill! He tugged at the cord, but it tangled, and the drill slipped, knocking over a vase. It shattered into pieces. Andrew cursed under his breath, knowing how much his mum loved that vase. He gathered the shards, hung the shelf, and left. Over the phone, he promised he’d buy her a new one for Mother’s Day. But she didn’t let him off easy—she went on and on about it.
Time passed, but he couldn’t find a vase like it anywhere. Then, on the last Saturday before the holiday, he spotted it… in the hands of a young woman. The shopkeeper said it was the last one in stock. Andrew approached her, apologised, and honestly explained how he’d broken the vase and that his mum would never forgive him if he didn’t replace it.
The woman, whose name was Emily, paused, then smiled and handed it to him. “Take it—save yourself from your mum’s nagging.” She picked another one, and Andrew took the one he needed.
On their way out of the shop, they got talking. He cracked a joke, and she laughed. Before long, he invited her over—for Mother’s Day, to his mum’s. Emily was surprised but agreed.
The next day, the two of them showed up at Andrew’s mum’s. She was delighted with the gift and even more so with Emily. “See, love, everything happens for a reason—if you hadn’t broken that vase, you wouldn’t have met such a lovely girl,” she chuckled.
From that day on, Andrew’s life changed. He and Emily spent more and more time together, strolling through parks, chatting about films and books, making plans. He introduced her to his daughter, who was visiting for the holidays, and luckily, they hit it off straight away. Emily was touched by Andrew’s kindness and the way he paid attention to her. And Andrew’s mum often reminisced about that day her son accidentally smashed the vase, insisting it was fate. Emily herself marvelled at how one chance meeting could lead to something so meaningful.
Six months later, they got married. The wedding was small but full of warmth. Andrew’s mum raised a toast, thanking fate once again for that broken vase. And Andrew, looking at his wife, knew he’d found the one he’d been waiting for all his life. Every time he walked past that shelf, he smiled, remembering how one shattered vase had led him to a happiness he’d never dared hope for.
