Momma had been watching through the kitchen window.  She had seen Calie fall.  She opened the door.  Momma stood there waiting for Calie with open arms.  Calie ran into them and hugged her mother tight.

  “It’s bad luck,” Calie wimpered.  “Seven years of bad luck.”  By now she was crying so hard that Daddy had her the commotion.

   “What is going on with our little Calie,” Daddy asked.

   “That is what I was just going to find out,” said Momma.

   Momma craddled Calie in her arms while Daddy followed.  They took Calie into the living room and sat down with her on the couch.  Momma told Daddy what Calie had said about the bad luck.  Daddy looke concerned.

   “Please tell us, Calie what this is all about,” said Momma. 

   “Yes,” said Daddy.  “We want to help you.”

   “Okay,” said Calie.  “I will tell you what I did.  I saw something shiney in Adria’s room.  I was curious about it, so I climbed onto her dresser.  I was not very careful and I fell.  When I fell the shiney object came with me.  I didn’t know what it was, but it broke into many little pieces.  Adria came in and found me.  She told me that I had broke her mirror.  She said I would have seven years of bad luck.”  After finishing the story Calie cried until big drops of tears began falling on her pretty red dress.

   “Now, now, Calie,” said Daddy.  “We will have to bring Adria downstairs and have a talk with her.  What she told you is not true.”

   “But,” said Calie, still crying.  “When I was leaving Adria’s room, I stubbed my toe on her door.  Then when I went outside to play with Lars, I fell and skinned my knee.  Then I tripped and hurt my nose.  Isn’t that bad luck?”

   “Those things might have happened to you any way, whether you broke the mirror or not,” said Momma. “Sometimes, bad things happen, but that does not mean that you will have bad luck for seven years.  Adria was probably teasing you because you had been in her room.  You were wrong to be in her room, but she was also wrong to tell you what she did.”

   Daddy called Adria down stairs and Lars was told to come into the house.  Together the family had a long talk about loving and respecting one another.  Daddy talked about the importance of being honest and always trying to tell the truth.

   “I am sorry, Calie,” Adria said.  “I was just upset that you had gone into my room.  I should not have told you what I did.  I guess I wanted to scare you so that you would not come into my room again.”

   “You sure did scare me,” said Calie.  “And I am sorry too.  I promise not to go into your room unless you say I can.”

   “Well, have we all learned something today,” asked Momma.

   “I have,” said Calie.

   “Me too,” said Lars.

   “And I have learned the most,” said Adria.  “I am the oldest and I should be a better big sister to Lars and Calie.”

   Momma and Daddy both laughed.  The children ran outside to play.  Momma smiled at Daddy.

   “We have a very nice family, don’t we,” said Momma.

   “We certainly do,” said Daddy.  He grabbed Momma’s hand and together they went outside to watch their children play.