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BEFORE
John looked up from his paperwork. A late middle aged, sweaty, balding
man was standing in the doorway smoking a cigarette. His stomach was so huge that it had caused his belly button to become
distended and protrude from under his tee shirt, which was stained with food. He looked at John through thick yellow-stained
glasses, and held out a stack of paperwork. "Hello. My name is Donny Wood. I'm your new employee." He proceeded
to cough profusely for fifteen seconds, at one point turning a deep shade of purple, to the point that it appeared he might
pass out. "I don't need anyone." John marveled that the man had
survived. "Don't matter. I need work," he said in a high-pitched,
nasally voice.
AFTER
John looked up from his paperwork.
A
late middle-aged man was standing in the doorway, smoking a cigarette. Sweat glistened on his balding head. His stomach was
so huge that his distended belly button protruded from under a t-shirt stained with food. He looked at John through thick,
yellowed glasses and held out a stack of paperwork.
"Hello.
My name is Donny Wood. I'm your new employee," he said in a high-pitched, nasally voice. He proceeded to cough profusely,
turning a deep shade of purple in the process.
John thought the guy might pass out. In fact, he could
barely restrain the hopeful grin that threatened to spread across his face at the prospect. But Donny soon recovered, amid
much wheezing and chest-clutching. So much for wishful thinking.
"I
don't need anyone."
"Don't matter. I need work."
Used with the author's permission

BEFORE
They sat at the kitchen table, the three of them. Just sipping coffee, dipping
her mother's home made sugar cookies, and catching up. Billie did more listening than talking. She looked around the room,
what a marvelous old house. Funny how a person doesn't notice things, like how cozy the kitchen you grew up in feels, until
you grow up, move away, and come back. Mom looks older than Dad now, how can two years make such a difference? She only missed
one Christmas, the last one. But that was when all her own problems were going on, hot and heavy. She'd thought about coming
home then. Could have used her mom's comfort, her dad's advice, but she was neck deep in divorce, and a high profile kidnapping.
Neither had worked out the way she'd have liked.
AFTER
They sat at the kitchen table, the three of them, just sipping coffee, dipping
her mother's homemade sugar cookies, and catching up. Billie did more listening than talking. She tried to listen, anyway.
But the marvelous old house she'd grown up in worked its charm on her, had her body relaxing and her mind wandering. Funny,
how she'd never appreciated this cozy kitchen until after she'd grown up, moved away, and come back. Mom looked older than
Dad now; how could two years have made such a difference? She'd only missed one Christmas, last year. Maybe she should have
come home then. Lord knew she could have used her mom's comfort and her dad's advice. She'd been neck-deep in trouble at the
time, fighting to survive a vicious divorce and struggling to solve a high-profile kidnapping. Neither situation had worked
out to her satisfaction.
Used with the author's permission
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