The umbrella laid there, up against the door frame to the front door. Soaked and creating a small puddle on the floor. It had just been purchased by its owner due to an unexpected April rainfall.

It sighed, content in the fact that it was keeping its owner protected from the early spring downpour that had been going on for the last two days.

It heard its owner talking about how it wished it was summer and that the rainy season was over, but the umbrella was able to do it’s job every day and be content.

Soon enough, the spring rains led way to summer sunshine. The umbrella stayed by the door though. Sometimes there would be a massive summer thunderstorm, and its owner still needed to go out and run errands, dogs still needed to be walked, children still needed go from the house to the car without getting wet.

Summer led right in to fall and the rains came back. Instead of warm spring and summer droplets, the umbrella shivered under the freezing cold drops of late fall.

The umbrella was happy in how it was helping its owner in every season. It knew it was doing exactly what it needed to do.

As the water started to get colder as it fell on the umbrella, the umbrella wondered what the next season would bring. One day, after sitting by the front door for what seemed like a week, the owner picked it up and put it in the closet. The umbrella had never been in there before, it was dark and so far away from the door. What about if it’s raining? It had noticed that the days were increasingly grey and dark lately. It could tell something was falling from the sky, but the shadows it cast in the window were very different from rain.

The closet had the umbrella’s friends: the rain boots, rain coats, gardening gloves. They told the umbrella that every year, that once the sky got grey and dark and the water from the sky turned icy cold, they were all put away.

The umbrella was sad. It didn’t know what it had done wrong. Why was it locked away? Its owner might be getting wet! It was failing in its job!

Then one day, the closet door opened again, and the umbrella found itself back in the corner by the front door. A warm breeze coming in every time its owner would open the door and the umbrella knew it was back to usefulness once again.

For those of you just stopping by, this post is being written in participation of the A to Z challenge. No Love For Fatties will resume regular posts as of May 1st. Until then, enjoy a new short story every day of the month! If you are stopping by from A to Z, let me know by leaving a comment in the section below!