Rachel's Rose

When #1 Daughter came into town on Saturday she presented me with a bunch of roses. She knew I would love them! So handy for those days when you haven't done anything blip-worthy. Thanks, Rachel!

So, quite late I took some shots and settled down to edit them Just then Ali realised she was missing something. She'd been asleep and hadn't seen me making a black tent with the clothes airer. She hadn't noticed me put a vase of flowers on the table. She hadn't seen the lamp being turned on. She hadn't heard the click of the shutter.

I had the laptop on my knee and cables in front of my legs. I couldn't move fast enough as she climbed onto the back of the armchair and launched herself across the gap to get onto the table.

The black cloth carried her along the polished surface like a bobsleigh. The vase toppled. The roses fell. The water spilled. What a mess!