The teacup was a lovely...
Illustration
The teacup was a lovely, fragile thing of bone china, pure milk white in the thickest parts and transparent lavender-white in the thinnest areas of design. When it was held up to the light, these differences drew a pattern that was lovely and delicate. It was an antique, part of a collection that was used monthly, when it was her turn to host the bridge club. The members of the club always commented on whichever cup they had, admiring them and enjoying each one's uniqueness. After one bridge club, as Bob was carrying the cups to the dishwasher, the translucent white bone china cup smashed to the floor. He was horrified, and quickly picked up the pieces and looked them over. He decided that it could be epoxied so that the damage would not be apparent, and his efforts succeeded! However, he determined that the cup could not be put back into service, because the tea or coffee would stain the edges of the breaks. So, he bought a smaller display shelf with a drawer large enough to hold the playing cards, pencils and score pads for the bridge club, and placed the cup on the shelf for all to see. When the other members arrived the next time, several people commented on how sad they felt that the cup could no longer be used, but Bob corrected them, saying, "It's not useless, even though it's not perfect. I just won't use it the same way I did before. From now on, it will be everyone's cup to admire."
