Quick As A Flash

A sigh of frustration fell from Max’s lips as he ran his fingers through a riot of dark curls. Dozens of photographs lay scattered on top of a cluttered workstation. He was beyond tired of looking at the same pictures, trying to find just the right one to submit for the gallery exhibit. Everything rode on his choice of photos – his rent, his family, his career. Nevertheless, Max still couldn’t find what he was searching for.

Absently, Max tugged on the straps of his camera that hung heavy around his neck. “How does one capture joy?” He looked down at his photographs frowning. “Everything cliché has already been shot before. How do I find something original?”

From the kitchen, the phone began to ring. After three rings went unanswered, Max couldn’t help but pull himself away from his thoughts as the noise continued. “Hey Ally,” he shouted. “You want to get that?”

After a few moments, the phone stopped ringing and the message machine clicked on. The sudden silence weighed heavily in the air. A spark of fear ignited in Max’s system until the sound of faint laughter from the laundry room in the back of the house drifted to his ears. Intrigued, he got up and followed the mirthful sound down the hall.

“Hey Ally, I think…”

His voice drifted off at the sight before him. His beautiful wife held their baby boy on a soft pile of clothes stacked in a laundry basket while the little one tried to stuff his pacifier in Ally’s mouth. Her laughter was as light as a feather as she dodged their son’s advances.

As quick as a flash, he took the cover off his camera and snapped a photo, capturing the moment in one perfect shot. Max smiled.

“There. I found it.”

Word Count: 300