Ten-Finger Exercises

Short, short and whole, or unfinished?

In my quest to learn to provide stories with good endings, I request you please give me your opinion. I'm trying to line up some beginnings for my folder for NoWriMo. Does the following story belong there, or is it complete, just short-short?



Janet tapped his elbow lightly. "If you only had 500 words left to say in your life, what would they be?" she asked.

"What? You're kidding, aren't you?" answered Tom from behind his newspaper.

"Not really. That's my assignment," she replied.

There was a silence. Janet had just decided that no answer would be forthcoming, when Tom put down his paper and looked at her. His face was serious, his eyes tender.

"I love you. I love you. I love you..."

Janet cut him off, smiling. " Thanks. That's nice. Not much plot though." She gave his arm an affectionate squeeze.

"You didn't mention that," Tom said, grinning.

They sat in the room so easily together, she with her laptop or sewing, he with the paper or tv.
They could be in different worlds, their thoughts were so far apart; and yet, with just a touch, they connected.