Gwendolyn Brooks（1917-2000）是第一個榮獲普立茲詩人獎的非裔作家，這篇故事「家」摘錄自她的小說《Maud Martha》。

媽媽與兩個女兒Maud Martha及Helen一直渴望：坐在門廊的搖椅上，邊聊邊看著傍晚的陽光灑在草坪、鐵籬笆及白楊樹上，但很快地這一切可能不再屬於她們的了，因為如果貸款不能展期，她們將被迫離開居住了十四年的家。貸款公司一向嚴苛，展期的機會真的很渺茫。
Papa was to have gone that noon, during his lunch hour, to the office of the Home Owners' Loan. If he had not succeeded in getting another extension, they would be leaving this house in which they had lived for more than fourteen years. There was little hope. The Home Owners' Loan was hard.

她們內心各自盤算著。媽媽說：「我們搬去密西根或南公園區的公寓吧！」但她們內心都知道那邊的房租會讓爸爸負擔加倍。Helen說：「那邊的公寓比這個老屋漂亮多了！」Maud Martha盯著在樹葉間跳上跳下的知更鳥，極力抑住將奪眶而出的眼淚，媽媽與Helen卻都沒有想哭。Maud Martha覺得老屋後面的天空時而飄過一線白，偶而彌漫一片紫，這般美景別的地方看都看不到。而且南公園區的鳥像機械鳥，連有錢太太養在鳥籠的金絲雀都叫得比牠們好聽。
She felt that the little line of white, sometimes ridged with smoked purple, and all that cream-shot saffron would never drift across any western sky except that in the back of this house. The birds on South Park were mechanical birds, no better than the poor caught canaries in those "rich" women's sun parlors.

Maud Martha哭著說：「爸爸一定難過死了，他為這個老屋而活！」Helen說：「爸爸是為我們而活！貸款不能展期也許是個解脫，否則我們就一輩子住在這裡了。」媽媽說：「是神的旨意吧。」這時爸爸回來了，他保持一貫連續的小步伐，走過鄰居的家，經過空地，她們好想一個箭步越過籬笆到街上，從爸爸的衣領搖出答案。爸爸打開大門，表情和步伐還是不透露任何風聲。
They could not tell a thing from the way Papa was walking. It was that same dear little staccato walk. He passed the Kennedys', he passed the vacant lot. They wanted to hurl themselves over the fence, into the street, and shake the truth out of his collar. He opened his gate-the gate-and still his stride and face told them nothing.

媽媽隨著爸爸走進屋內，女兒們留在門廊。一會兒媽媽探出頭來，眼睛像點亮的燈：「房貸展期了，沒問題了！」Helen說：「我想來辦個舞會，從十一歲以後就沒辦過舞會了，我要讓朋友知道我們是有房子的人。」
Presently Mama's head emerged. Her eyes were lamps turned on. "It's all right. He got it. It's all over. Everything is all right." Helen said: "I think I'll give a party. I haven't given a party since I was eleven. I'd like some of my friends to just casually see that we're homeowners."