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.
GrowAndLearnOnline – Excellent resources, and browsing felt simple and enjoyable.
LearnThriveSpot – The site had helpful guides and a very intuitive structure.
Attic Corner – The website is well-structured, making it easy to browse all products.
Explore Endless Growth – Browsing was comfortable and the overall vibe motivating.
ThriveEduSpot – Found informative materials easily and the pages loaded quickly.
Gold Attic Shop – Smooth browsing experience with well-organized products.
Pathway to Success – Loved the clean design and easy-to-follow information.
Discover Growth Spot – Easy to move around and content offered positive takeaways.
Shop Today Online – Smooth browsing experience and layout feels neat.
Day Away Picks – Quick-loading pages and a variety of attractive products.
ShopDay Online Hub – Clean interface and enjoyable browsing overall.
Shop The Day Hub – Smooth experience and a well-organized product selection.
подробнее водкабет
https://avtadalafil.com/# Av Tadalafil
Your Fresh Corner – Layout feels simple and browsing through products is enjoyable.
Selkeä ja ytimekäs, kiitos!
Daily Fresh Picks Spot – The interface is neat and exploring products was simple.
Explore Fresh Daily – Very user-friendly interface with enjoyable browsing experience.
Fresh Picks Online – Fast-loading pages and an intuitive browsing experience.
SkyBlossomCorner – Definitely worth a look, nice products and smooth browsing throughout today.
I blog often and I seriously thank you for your content.
This article has truly peaked my interest. I will take a note of your site and
keep checking for new information about once a week. I opted in for your RSS feed too.
умные римские шторы https://prokarniz29.ru/ .
Thanks a bunch for sharing this with all people you actually
understand what you’re talking about! Bookmarked. Kindly additionally discuss with my site
=). We can have a hyperlink exchange agreement among us
ShadyLaneShoppe – Pleasant browsing today, layout feels modern and user-friendly overall indeed.
умные шторы умные шторы .
Urban Selection Hub – Attractive design and well-arranged product listings made the experience pleasant.
FashionTreasure – Nice layout, products are easy to find and explore.
trueautumntrendstore – Neatly displayed products and tidy pages, exploring items was enjoyable.
Greetings! Very helpful advice in this particular article! It is the little changes that make the largest changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!
FashionJourney – Enjoyed the variety and the site feels user-friendly.
Trend & Style Picks – The website is neat, and finding items was quick and enjoyable.
FashionNest – Loved exploring the site, everything feels well organized.
UrbanTrend Picks – The products looked appealing and the layout kept the experience easy.
TrendExplorerShop – Items are stylish, navigating the site was intuitive.
UrbanTrend Hub – The layout is clean, and the stylish products are well-presented.
trueautumnlane – Clear product listings and organized interface, exploring items was enjoyable.
I value the scalable features and reliable uptime. This site is reliable. Definitely recommend to anyone in crypto.
autumnemporiumcentral – Smooth interface with clear product sections, shopping felt effortless.
LifestyleTrendsHub – Nice assortment of items, browsing through the site was smooth and easy.
ModernLifestyleSpot – Items are stylish, browsing felt fast and effortless.
LifestyleTreasureHub – Lovely selection, browsing felt intuitive and comfortable.
trueautumnstyle – Well-structured pages and easy navigation, browsing was quick and natural.
ModernHome Trends – The décor selection looked great, and navigating through pages felt effortless.
sildenafil 1mg: Uofm Sildenafil – buy sildenafil 20 mg tablets
казино онлайн в казахстане бонус за регистрацию без депозита
Decor Choice Store – Smooth page transitions and a refreshing set of home décor options.
Modern Home Picks – Great selection of décor pieces, and navigating the site felt smooth today.
умные шторы купить умные шторы купить .
Penn Ivermectin stromectol cvs Penn Ivermectin
Fresh Home Finds – The layout looked clean, and moving between products felt natural and quick.