Photo © 2011 Gerald Pereira CC BY 2.0
Something a little different today. I signed up to take part in Tony Noland’s Great April Fool’s Day #FridayFlash Blogswap. Tony paired me up with Danielle La Paglia, who has in gracious silence endured my haphazard attempt at keeping to a deadline.
(Oy. Just be thankful you’re not my publisher.)
Danielle and I both wrote a story around the same prompt. I’m posting hers here, and she’s posting my story over on her blog. Tony gave us the following prompt to inspire our stories: “three free tickets to a movie.”
-TimK
Substitute
Sandy fingered the tickets in her coat pocket, sliding their slick backs together as she stared at the house. It had seemed like such a good idea when she’d stopped by the theater two days ago, but the thin slips of paper felt inadequate and meaningless now. What good were three free tickets when they’d lost so much? She thought of putting the car in drive and heading home, but John stepped onto the porch and waived. There was no turning back.
A gust of wind whipped her hair across her face as she stepped from the car. The icy blast beat against her exposed cheeks and sent a flurry of snowflakes into the car before she could slam the door shut. Even the wind knew it was a bad idea.
She ran to the shelter of the porch, hoping to sneak a quick hug from John, a small shot of courage and comfort to push her through. But Maddy shoved the screen door open and ushered her siblings onto the porch. Sorrow hung on them like a heavy cloak, paling their skin, darkening the shadows in their eyes. Even seven-year-old Emily had lost her sparkle. The bright pink smile she used to wear was a soft peach line tugged down at the corners.
Sandy knew she was a poor substitute for the mother they’d lost. She wasn’t trying to replace her. She only hoped to give them a break from the reality that had been forced upon them, even if it was only for a few hours. But seeing their somber expressions, she felt the sting of her mistake. Only time would make it better, not her, not this. She wanted to run, make a hasty retreat and leave them to what was left of their broken family, but John spoke.
“You girls behave and try to have a good time.” He hugged each one in turn then Maddy hustled them down the steps. “Thank you,” he said and squeezed Sandy’s hand. They’d been dating nearly a year and, despite the three-year-old divorce settlement, it was still hard on the girls. Sandy gave a weak smile then jogged to the car.
They rode in near silence to the theater. Each of Sandy’s attempts at conversation were shut down with a one-word answer or a half-hearted nod. Resigned to their silence, she turned on the radio and let the music try to warm the stale atmosphere instead.
As they stepped into the lobby, Emily and Sarah’s faces brightened. At seven and nine, they were amazed at the beauty of the grand theater, pointing to heavy velvet curtains held back with gold ropes and the scrolling wood ornaments decorating the walls. Then they lifted their faces in wonder at the elaborately painted ceiling. The knot in Sandy’s stomach loosened until her eyes met Maddy’s. The fourteen-year-old’s face was set in a cold stare. It took all of Sandy’s strength to stand her ground and force a smile.
An usher finally led them to their seats where they once again sat in silence with only the occasional whisper from the little ones pointing out some new discovery. The house lights eventually dimmed and a hush fell over the audience. The first bars of music filled the room. The curtain rose, and the ballerinas took the stage.
Emily and Sarah were spellbound. Their eyes glued to the dancers—children twirled across the stage, tin soldiers came to life, and a sugar plum fairy enchanted them all. The glow in their eyes raised a lump in Sandy’s throat. She’d done the right thing. And as the saying went, two out of three wasn’t bad.
Emily and Sarah’s giggles and high-pitched chatter filled the car on the ride home, a warm contrast to the start of their journey. When they pulled into the driveway, the wind had died, leaving a peaceful blanket of snow across the yard and roof top. The younger girls clutched their shiny red nutcrackers and hugged Sandy goodbye. Again Maddy ushered them through the door as John and Sandy stood on the porch.
“Thank you for this. Their smiles…” His voice cracked; tears glistened in his eyes.
“You’re welcome.” He kissed her cheek then followed the girls inside. She was almost to the car when the screen door slammed behind her. She spun to find Maddy jogging down the steps.
“Sandy?” Her face was softer, her eyes wider, more innocent somehow.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.” Maddy gave a soft smile then ran back into the house.
Sandy stood beside her car letting the words of a child warm her. Today wasn’t a substitute, but it had been a welcome reprieve, and that was more than enough for her.
clickexpand.click – Overall, professional vibe here; trustworthy, polished, and pleasantly minimal throughout.
электрокарниз купить электрокарниз купить .
гидроизоляция подвала цена [url=http://gidroizolyaciya-cena-8.ru/]гидроизоляция подвала цена[/url] .
мостбет андроид http://mostbet12037.ru/
Welcome to the world of financial management with TaleStrucker!
On the topic “Financial strategies for gamers: tips and tools”, I found a lot of useful information.
See for yourself:
https://esportsgrind.com/
Continue to learn and apply new financial strategies!
вывод из запоя
vivod-iz-zapoya-irkutsk014.ru
лечение запоя
электрокарниз двухрядный цена elektrokarniz499.ru .
гидроизоляция цена за рулон гидроизоляция цена за рулон .
гидроизоляция подвала цена гидроизоляция подвала цена .
Вывод из запоя в стационаре клиники «Детокс» в Краснодаре — эффективное решение для длительного запоя. Мы предоставляем круглосуточную медицинскую помощь, обеспечивая комфорт и безопасность на каждом этапе лечения.
Подробнее тут – срочный вывод из запоя
Start your journey to financial freedom with our guide.
By the way, if you are interested in Master financial management with TaleStrucker, check out here.
Here, you can read it:
https://talestrucker.com/
Choose your strategy and start your journey to financial freedom.
If you are new to investing, these tips will help you save money.
I especially liked the section about Practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely.
See for yourself:
https://cacticarely.com/
Continue to learn and apply new financial strategies!
электрокарниз недорого elektrokarniz499.ru .
Cilt bak?m?n?n puf noktalar?na dair bilmeniz gereken her sey burada!
“Cilt Bak?m? ve Guzellik: Trendler ve Ipuclar?” konusunda bilgi arayanlar icin cok faydal? bilgiler buldum.
Asag?daki linke bakabilirsiniz:
https://bakimruhu.com
Guzelliginizin ve sagl?g?n?z?n anahtar? dogru cilt bak?m?nda sakl?.
Eski ama asla eskimeyen 90’lar modas?n?n guzellik s?rlar?yla dolu bu yaz?da bulusal?m.
Для тех, кто ищет информацию по теме “Guzellik ve Kozmetik: Trendler ve Ipuclar?”, нашел много полезного.
Вот, можете почитать:
https://guzellikturk.com
90’lar?n guzellik s?rlar?yla tarz?n?za yeni bir soluk kazand?rabilirsiniz. Eski moda, yeni size ilham olsun!
Життя у ритмі цифри https://vilnapresa.com розумний будинок, мобільні сервіси, кібербезпека, віддалена робота, сімейний календар, здоров’я. Гайди, чек-листи, добірки додатків.
Про будинок та світ https://databank.com.ua навколо: затишок, сім’я, освіта, бізнес-інструменти, особисті фінанси, подорожі та кулінарія. Стислі висновки, посилання на джерела, корисні формули.
Журнал про баланс https://info365.com.ua затишок та порядок, сім’я та дозвілля, технології та безпека, кар’єра та інвестиції. Огляди, порівняння, добірки товарів та додатків.
adpilot.click – Loved the layout today; clean, simple, and genuinely user-friendly overall.
Життя простіше https://metasearch.com.ua організація побуту, виховання, продуктивність, smart-рішення, особисті фінанси, спорт та відпочинок. Перевірені поради, наочні схеми, корисні таблиці.
ремонт гидроизоляции фундаментов и стен подвалов [url=https://www.gidroizolyaciya-cena-7.ru]https://www.gidroizolyaciya-cena-7.ru[/url] .
ремонт гидроизоляции фундаментов и стен подвалов gidroizolyaciya-cena-7.ru .
90’lar modas?n?n guzellik s?rlar?yla gunumuzun trendlerine meydan okumaya ne dersiniz?
Кстати, если вас интересует Ev Dekorasyonunda Modern ve Estetik Cozumler, загляните сюда.
Вот, можете почитать:
https://evimturk.com
90’lar modas?n?n guzellik s?rlar?n? kesfetmek, tarz?n?za farkl? bir boyut kazand?rabilir. Denemeye deger degil mi?
наркология лечение [url=http://narkologicheskaya-klinika-28.ru]наркология лечение[/url] .
гидроизоляция подвала изнутри цена гидроизоляция подвала изнутри цена .
тканевые электрожалюзи [url=https://www.avtomaticheskie-zhalyuzi.ru]https://www.avtomaticheskie-zhalyuzi.ru[/url] .
Start your journey to financial freedom with our guide.
I want to highlight the section about Tips for beginner investors and saving money.
Here, you can read it:
https://noobastro.com/
Choose your strategy and start your journey to financial freedom.
гидроизоляция цена работы гидроизоляция цена работы .
Життя у ритмі цифри https://vilnapresa.com розумний будинок, мобільні сервіси, кібербезпека, віддалена робота, сімейний календар, здоров’я. Гайди, чек-листи, добірки додатків.
Про будинок та світ https://databank.com.ua навколо: затишок, сім’я, освіта, бізнес-інструменти, особисті фінанси, подорожі та кулінарія. Стислі висновки, посилання на джерела, корисні формули.
литокол гидроизоляция цена http://gidroizolyaciya-cena-7.ru/ .
анонимная наркологическая помощь анонимная наркологическая помощь .
startsomethingtoday – Love the name and the message, layout feels simple and fresh.
KRAKEN официальный сайт поддерживает зеркала для обхода блокировок. Вход через кракен ссылка выполняется моментально.
гидроизоляция подвала цена [url=www.gidroizolyaciya-podvala-cena.ru]гидроизоляция подвала цена[/url] .
наркологический центр москва наркологический центр москва .
сырость в подвале сырость в подвале .
Dogal guzellik ve cilt bak?m?nda uzmanlar?n s?rlar?na yak?ndan bak?yoruz.
“Turk Mutfag?n?n Geleneksel ve Modern Lezzetleri” konusunda bilgi arayanlar icin harika bir makale var.
Iste, linki paylas?yorum:
https://turklezzeti.com
Cilt bak?m?n? hayat?n?z?n bir parcas? haline getirin ve fark? gorun.
торкретирование [url=https://torkretirovanie-1.ru/]торкретирование[/url] .
жалюзи автоматические цена жалюзи автоматические цена .
Журнал про баланс https://info365.com.ua затишок та порядок, сім’я та дозвілля, технології та безпека, кар’єра та інвестиції. Огляди, порівняння, добірки товарів та додатків.
торкретирование стен цена за м2 torkretirovanie-1.ru .
Життя простіше https://metasearch.com.ua організація побуту, виховання, продуктивність, smart-рішення, особисті фінанси, спорт та відпочинок. Перевірені поради, наочні схеми, корисні таблиці.
тканевые электрожалюзи http://avtomaticheskie-zhalyuzi.ru .
If you are new to investing, these tips will help you save money.
On the topic “Practical tips for financial well-being with CactiCarely”, I found a lot of useful information.
Here, I’m sharing a link:
https://cacticarely.com/
We hope these tips will help you become financially successful.
стационар наркологический [url=https://www.narkologicheskaya-klinika-23.ru]https://www.narkologicheskaya-klinika-23.ru[/url] .
ремонт подвала ремонт подвала .
торкретирование торкретирование .
гидроизоляция цена работы гидроизоляция цена работы .
гидроизоляция подвала цена за м2 гидроизоляция подвала цена за м2 .