Short, sweet, and awesome. [Sorry 'awesome doesn't start with an s.] You start out nicely, introduce what you're going to talk about, say some really great stuff near the end, and wrap it up nicely. Good job!

~Monday

Both pieces were a joy to read.

The first one can be improved with a bit more added detail but the characterization and the mood was set fairly well. The line 'And he stuck to me for that.' seems a bit odd. I think it would be better if you offered the reader a bit more insight to the antagonist. like showing signs that he has experience the same misfortune or that he cared about her.

I have no qualms with the second story. It's short and sweet with enough depth to keep the reader interested. I especially liked how you ended it. 'All of us great grandkids were lined up all prettily in a row, ' I think you can take out the second 'all' in there.

Good work, and keep going! :)