The doorbell rang, stopping Kate from putting the tray in the oven. The sound startled her, wiping her hands on a dish-towel on her way to the front door.
“I wonder who the hell that could be?” pausing in front of the mirror at the end of the hallway to make sure that she didn’t have anything on her face from baking cookies.

This was the first time, she had ever tried to bake anything. It was the first holiday that she had a home to decorate, at least one that she owned and got to spend time at. There was no traveling this year for her, this was such a change from the past .
The small house was left to her by her parents, it had been their summer home. She remembers spending summers here with her parents and friends. They would swim in the lake and fish in the evenings, at least when she was not chasing fire flies. The small boat shed in the back is now used as a studio, but back then they kept kayaks back there. It has been many years since she had been anywhere near a kayak or on the lake. That would change this summer, she hoped anyway. With all the traveling with the job she never really put down any roots. No plants or pets for her. She had frequent flyer miles and stamps on her passport.
“Who’s there?” she asked loudly from behind the door.

No answer, she opened it to find a large box decorated with ribbons and her name on it. There was no-one around to claim the box. She opened it inside was a beautiful large snow globe. She picked it up, flipped it over then back and watched as the snow began to fall.

The piece should begin with “The doorbell rang” and end with “snow began to fall.”

The middle is up to you, and the entire thing should be under 300 words. Come back and dazzle us this Friday!