Flash Fiction February, Day 2: Today’s prompt is to write about a parent and child.

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“We’re bored,” groaned Timmy. Jimmy nodded in agreement.

Their mother looked at the two boys and said, “Perfect! Today is the day of the Family Olympics.”

“What’s that?” Jimmy asked.

“It’s a competition. We’ll have a pentathlon today — that means five events. I’ll keep track of who wins each one.”

“What’s the prize?” asked Jimmy.

“Cookies,” she replied, and the boys could see the mixer and cookie sheets already out. “First event is called Strip-the-Bed. It’s a race for who can strip all the sheets off their bed and get them to the laundry room first. On your mark, get set, go!”

Both boys raced out of the room. She could hear them upstairs and hoped the bedroom wouldn’t be too much of disaster. She met them in the laundry room. Timmy was just ahead of Jimmy and declared the winner.

“Next event is the Sock-Matching Race,” she said, and showed them the laundry basket with an assortment of unmatched socks. “You get one point for every you match. Ready? Go!”

They dumped the basket and set to work, fighting over socks, fighting with socks, and ultimately matching a bunch of socks. Timmy was the winner again.

“This next event isn’t about speed,” Mom said. “It will be judged on neatness, thoughtfulness, and word choice. It’s called Write-a-thank-you-note. Think of someone you should thank — Gramma, Auntie Lisa, Uncle Scott, or anyone — and write them a note.”

It was an hour later when the boys returned. The cookies were cooling on the racks and smelled amazing.

“While I read these,” Mom said, “you can do the next event: Gather-the-water-cups. There’s one or more in each bathroom, and each person has one beside their bed. I want to wash them all. Ready? Go!”

Jimmy had strategically headed for the bathrooms and came back with four, while Timmy only had three.

“Timmy – two points, Jimmy – one,” said Mom. “I still haven’t had a chance to read your thank you notes, so I’ll give you the next competition. It’s the Make-the-Bed competition. The sheets are in the dryer. You’ll have to get them out, divide them up, and go make your beds. I will inspect and deduct points for sloppiness and untucked sheets and blankets. Ready, set, GO!”

This task took a little longer, but when the boys had finished, they raced back to their mother in a dead tie. She was sitting at the table crying.

“C’mon boys,” she said, as she wiped her eyes. “Let’s go see how you did.”

Timmy’s bed was made, but it was a mess. Jimmy’s was much neater, with everything tucked it.

“Jimmy gets this point,” Mom said.

“Who won the thank you note competition?” Timmy asked.

Mom’s eyes welled up again with tears. “You both did,” she said. “You both wrote notes that began ‘Dear Mom’. You both made me cry in the very best way. Thank you.” She hugged them both tightly. “Now let’s go eat some cookies.”