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.

купить электрические рулонные шторы https://www.rulonnye-shtory-s-elektroprivodom.ru .
shop timber – Clear sections and responsive pages made exploring products simple.
рулонные шторы с автоматическим управлением https://rulonnye-shtory-s-elektroprivodom499.ru/ .
рулонные шторы на окна купить рулонные шторы на окна купить .
электропривод рулонных штор https://rulonnye-shtory-s-elektroprivodom.ru/ .
умные шторы умные шторы .
fresh season picks – The website feels airy and organized, making the whole experience smooth.
автоматические шторы на окна автоматические шторы на окна .
timberford finds – Browsing feels comfortable and locating products was effortless.
Feather Hub – Logical product arrangement and simple interface enhanced usability.
timber picks – Easy-to-use site with well-organized categories for fast shopping.
умные шторы с алисой http://www.prokarniz27.ru .
Wow, marvelous blog layout! How long have you been blogging for? you made blogging look easy. The overall look of your website is fantastic, let alone the content!
forticlient mac download
EverCrestWoods Catalog – Everything was laid out clearly, helping me browse without confusion.
рулонные шторы с электроприводом купить в москве https://rulonnye-shtory-s-elektroprivodom499.ru .
ExpandYourMind – Great selection available, products seem high quality and well presented nicely.
рулонные шторы купить в москве рулонные шторы купить в москве .
Feather Finds Hub – Well-laid-out items and simple interface made exploring items easy.
latest finds – The shop has a nice, open feel and products are arranged in a very clean way.
рулонные шторы с пультом управления рулонные шторы с пультом управления .
Soft Feather Lane – Clear design and organized product sections improved the shopping experience.
timber market hub – Clear categories and fast-loading pages made shopping simple.
Feather Workshop – Neatly organized products with smooth navigation made shopping pleasant.
рулонные шторы автоматические рулонные шторы автоматические .
shop selections – The clean design made exploring the store comfortable and quick.
рулонные шторы на электроприводе рулонные шторы на электроприводе .
FashionForLife – Great user experience overall, site looks modern and easy to navigate clearly.
Ever Crest Woods Collection – A fresh, uncluttered design made scrolling through items enjoyable.
EverCrest Woods – The layout felt organized, making it easy to look through different items.
Wild Meadow Crafts – Well-arranged products and tidy pages made selection fast and easy.
жалюзи для пластиковых окон с электроприводом https://prokarniz23.ru/ .
клиника наркологическая москва [url=http://narkologicheskaya-klinika-38.ru]http://narkologicheskaya-klinika-38.ru[/url] .
наркологический центр наркологический центр .
Wild Meadow Boutique – Smooth navigation and well-displayed items made shopping easy.
наркологическая клиника trezviy vibor http://www.narkologicheskaya-klinika-38.ru .
Ever Crest Woods Selection – The way categories were set up made browsing calm and efficient.
экстренное вытрезвление https://narkologicheskaya-klinika-38.ru .
Hey! This is kind of off topic but I need some help from an established blog. Is it tough to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty fast. I’m thinking about creating my own but I’m not sure where to start. Do you have any points or suggestions? Thank you
forticlient on mac
My partner and I absolutely love your blog and find a lot of your post’s to be precisely what I’m looking for. Does one offer guest writers to write content to suit your needs? I wouldn’t mind composing a post or elaborating on a number of the subjects you write about here. Again, awesome web site!
forticlient mac
Wild Meadow Treasures Hub – User-friendly pages and organized items helped me shop comfortably.
Wonderful blog! I found it while searching on Yahoo News. Do you have any suggestions on how to get listed in Yahoo News? I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there! Thanks
наркологические клиники в москве частные http://www.narkologicheskaya-klinika-38.ru .
Wow, wonderful blog layout! How long have you been blogging for? you make blogging look easy. The overall look of your site is great, let alone the content!
forticlient mac
наркологическая клиника трезвый выбор narkologicheskaya-klinika-40.ru .
Everhill Finds Online – Items load quickly and the site is easy to use — very pleasant experience.
умные шторы [url=https://prokarniz23.ru/]умные шторы[/url] .
электронные шторы http://www.prokarniz23.ru .
медицинский наркологический центр http://www.narkologicheskaya-klinika-38.ru .
электронные шторы https://prokarniz23.ru/ .
canadian drugstore cialis http://corpharmacy.com/# discount pharmacy