The Winter Coat

Flash Fiction

The Winter Coat

 

They walked into the thrift store hand in hand. One was colder than the other. The mother and son walked to the counter. The boy wearing his plaid red jacket, the sleeves stopping inches short of his wrist and sometimes he could see his belly button when it should be covered.

 

The boy looked at the floor as they walked as little boys often do. The pair made it to the counter and the boy let his mind wonder as he normally did when his mother was talking to other adults. He noticed a drop of water ever so small hit the floor near his worn Velcro shoes, the superman logo barely noticeable anymore.

 

The boy looked up to see his mother engaged with the stern face man behind the counter. The man glanced at the boy and back toward the mother before glancing at the mom again. He seemed to be having an argument in his mind the boy thought. The mother then removed her jacket laying it on the counter. The stern faced man took the jacket and went to the back.

 

The mother knelt down to the boy. The boy did not understand why his mother was crying. She carefully removed the boy’s jacket, kissing his forehead while removing one sleeve from his tiny arm, then the next. The man returned with a shiny red jacket laying it on the counter. The mother picked up the jacket handing it to the boy letting him admire the newer red than the faded plaid he just had.

 

She slid one arm in helping the boy to guide the other arms in shortly after the first. The sleeves reached his wrist; the boy could no longer see his belly and the mother cried.

 

They walked out of the store together one colder than the other…

 

Years later, the man stood in the thrift store holding the little girls hand. A tear rolled down the father’s cheek. The man understood why his mother cried.