Mason’s Wish – A Valentine’s Day Story

Posted byauthorlaurablogPosted inUncategorized

Mason’s Wish

Mason kisses his mom every morning. He kisses the picture of Dad, in full uniform, hugging Mason goodbye. Some days it makes him smile. Some days it makes him sad.

“When does Daddy come home? It feels like it’s been forever.”

“Soon. He’ll be back on March 5,” Mom replies.

“We need to make a countdown calendar.”

Mason decorates March 5th with the word HOME in red letters. Mom writes the number one on March 4. Counting together, writing numbers until they reach the calendar square for today.

“Thirty-four more days,” Mason sighs.

“It’s been a long time and we both miss him. Imagine the celebration we’ll have when he comes back.”

“Can we make a surprise party? Surprises are the best!”

“Sure, we’ll plan it together.”

Mason studies the calendar and discovers Valentine’s Day is only two weeks away. He needs to plan a surprise for Mom. Mason enlists Grandma, his secret weapon, to help him make it happen.

On the morning of February 14, Mason waits in his room until – beep, plip, plop: Skype ringing. When he hears his dad’s voice, he scoops up the flowers and chocolate Grandma helped him buy. Racing to the living room, he jumps into Mom’s lap! A surprise Valentine’s Day party for Mom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you for reading this story.  It’s my entry into a Valentine’s Day writing contest held by Susanna Leonard Hill. The parameters of the contest require the story be 214 words or less, tell a full story featuring a character who is hopeful, be appealing to children, and be related to Valentine’s Day. 

Published by authorlaurablog

I'm a reading specialist and award winning educator from Chicago. While living in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado for nine years, I spent time hiking on the trails with my Goldendoodle Charlie and friends, writing, working in a literacy program at the Boulder Public Library, and mentoring writers and teachers. I love visiting schools. My books combine STEM and Kindness. "Aliana Reaches for the Moon" a picture book that draws inspiration from the moon and the curiosity of children, inviting children to be creative, explore, and experiment. "An Accidental Hero: A Mostly True Wombat Story" a picture book told in the form of a newscast which skillfully balances the serious subject of forest fires with compassion and humor to help children navigate this important topic through the real events of 2020. I moved to Northern New Jersey in 2025 and am working on new projects.

23 thoughts on “Mason’s Wish – A Valentine’s Day Story”

Leave a reply to Lynn A. Davidson Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.