We put up the tree as usual. Strung the lights. Hung the ornaments. Then came the topper—her angel or my snowflake. We discussed. We debated. We fought. In the end it was never about the angel, but I realized that too late, after she took it and moved out.

Nick Young is a retired award-winning CBS News Correspondent. In addition to 50-Word Stories, his writing has appeared in dozens of reviews, journals and anthologies. His first novel, “Deadline,” was published in 2023. He can be found on Bluesky @youngnick.bsky.social. He lives outside Chicago.