“I should’ve had more daughters,” said Melinda’s mother, pouring lemonade poolside. “You never tell me anything.”

Melinda inhaled slowly. “My novel got an… award.”

“With how much money?”

“No money. A certificate.”

The mother smirked, shielding her eyes from the sun. “How sad is that.”

Melinda lowered her hat brim.

Shoshauna Shy’s flash has been published by 100 Word Story, Brilliant Flash Fiction, Fiction Southeast, and other online journals.