Sophy’s Choice

     “Either tidy your toys, or they all go in a lawn sale.”
     “Sell them!” said the defiant six-year-old.
     At the end of the sale I let her choose one toy to keep and took the rest to Goodwill. I was surprised at her choice. She let a beloved doll go, seemingly without regret.
     The next morning I found her crying, “I miss Molly.”
     “Why didn’t you keep her?”
     “You said only one thing!”
     If she had begged for Molly, I would have relented, but how could she have known?
     I pawed through the toys at Goodwill, but Molly was gone.