Omar was playing ball inside the house, even though Mom always said not to. He tossed the ball up and caught it, up and caught it. Then he missed.
The ball bounced off the shelf and knocked over Mom's favorite blue vase. It hit the floor and cracked into three big pieces. Omar's heart sank.
He picked up the pieces carefully so he would not cut himself. Maybe I can glue it back together, he thought. He got the glue from the drawer.
He tried his best, but the vase still looked cracked. You could see the lines where it had broken. It was not the same anymore.
When Mom came home, Omar thought about hiding the vase in the back of the closet. But his stomach felt awful. He knew he had to tell the truth.
Mom, I broke your vase. I was playing ball inside. I am really sorry. He held out the glued vase with both hands. His eyes were wet.
Mom looked at the vase for a long time. Then she hugged Omar. Thank you for telling me the truth. That means more to me than any vase.
Omar still felt bad, but he also felt lighter. He saved up his allowance and bought Mom a new vase. This time, he always played ball outside.