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.
http://neuroreliefusa.com/# discount neurontin
http://smartgenrxusa.com/# Smart GenRx USA
인사드립니다! 당신의 웹페이지를 정말 우연히
발견했는데, Digg에서 다른 것을 검색하던 중이었습니다.
멋진 포스트와 전반적으로 재미있는 블로그(테마/디자인도 좋아합니다)에 감사드립니다.
지금은 시간이 없어서 전부 읽지는 못했지만, 북마크해놓고 RSS 피드도 추가했습니다.
시간이 되면 더 많이 읽으러 올게요, 멋진 작업을 계속해 주세요.
Heya i am for the primary time here. I came across this board and
I find It truly helpful & it helped me out a lot. I hope to provide one thing again and aid others such as you aided me.
constantly i used to read smaller articles or reviews which as
well clear their motive, and that is also happening with this post which I
am reading at this place.
QQ88 là nhà cái hấp dẫn hàng đầu 2026 qq88gs.com là tên miền chính thức của nhà cái . Đăng ký ngay hôm nay nhận ngày ưu đãi ngập tràn
Geleneksel slotların aksine, Starlight Princess 1000, kazanan kombinasyonları oluşturmak için makaralarda herhangi bir yerde eşleşen sembolleri kullanan bir dağılım ödeme sistemi kullanır – ödeme hatlarına gerek yoktur! Kazanmak için makaralarda 8 veya daha fazla aynı sembolün gelmesi yeterlidir. Düşme özelliği, kazanan sembolleri kaldırır ve yenilerinin aşağıya doğru düşmesine izin vererek, tek bir çevirimden potansiyel olarak ardışık kazançlar oluşturabilir. Büyüleyici anime estetiği, prensesin kazançlarınıza verdiği heyecanlı tepkilerle birleşerek hem görsel olarak çarpıcı hem de inanılmaz derecede sürükleyici bir atmosfer yaratır. Platinum Play Casino, fark etmiş olabileceğiniz gibi. Bir kumarhanenin moon princess sunmak için geçerli bir lisansa sahip olup olmadığı nasıl kontrol edilir yeni web sitesi tasarımı mobil cihazlara uygundur, Kanada sahnesinde gerçek para ile güvenli casinolar hakkında konuştum. Paranın alışveriş yapmak, banka havaleleri.
https://rventuresinc.co/pin-up-casino-slot-oyunu-incelemesi/
Promosyondan yararlanın ve Premium hizmetimize hemen katılın! Promosyondan yararlanın ve Premium hizmetimize hemen katılın! Olympus’un Kapıları gibi tüm özelliklerle birlikte gelir. Yuvarlanan makaralar, ücretsiz döndürmeler, Anti Bahis ve Noel Küresi Çarpanı adı verilen özel bir bonus çarpanı gibi özellikler. Starlight Princess oyunu çeşitli çevrimiçi casinolarda bulunabilir. Ancak, güvenilir ve lisanslı casinoları tercih etmek önemlidir. Oyunun güvenilir bir platformda oynamak, adil oyun deneyimi sağlar. Ücretsiz Döndürme turu, tüm bonus boyunca süren toplam bir Çarpan elde ettiğiniz yerdir. Ayrıca Ante Bahsi ve Ücretsiz Döndürme Satın Al bonusları aracılığıyla Ücretsiz Döndürmeleri tetiklemek için bir kestirme yol da kullanabilirsiniz.
Superb blog! Do you have any hints for aspiring writers?
I’m planning to start my own website soon but I’m a little lost
on everything. Would you propose starting with a free
platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so
many choices out there that I’m completely overwhelmed .. Any
recommendations? Thank you!
I think the admin of this site is truly working hard for his web page, as here every stuff is quality based stuff.
If you desire to take a good deal from this paragraph then you have to apply
such strategies to your won web site.
В этом обзорном материале представлены увлекательные детали, которые находят отражение в различных аспектах жизни. Мы исследуем непонятные и интересные моменты, позволяя читателю увидеть картину целиком. Погрузитесь в мир знаний и удивительных открытий!
Выяснить больше – https://www.gmstaffing.ca
Бесплатный футбол сегодня Expert tipsters deliver betting tips on sports games and matches including Fixed game selections and correct score best exacte forecast. Vip and free bets are available daily with sureshot odds and accumulator real
官方授权的ifuntv海外华人首选，第一时间提供最新华语剧集、美剧、日剧等高清在线观看。
Greetings! I’ve been following your website for some time now
and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give
you a shout out from Huffman Texas! Just wanted to tell you keep up the great work!
Everything is very open with a clear clarification of the challenges.
It was truly informative. Your site is useful. Many thanks for sharing!
I think that is one of the most significant
info for me. And i’m glad studying your article. But wanna statement
on few basic issues, The site taste is ideal, the articles is actually nice : D.
Excellent job, cheers
I’d like to find out more? I’d want to find out more details.
pferderennen wetten anleitung
Hi to all, it’s really a nice for me to pay a quick visit this site,
it includes important Information.
zoloft pill: buy zoloft – buy zoloft
Hey there are using WordPress for your site platform?
I’m new to the blog world but I’m trying to get started and create
my own. Do you need any html coding knowledge to make your own blog?
Any help would be really appreciated!
sportwetten online bonus ohne einzahlung
Feel free to surf to my website; buchmacher wettbonus
电影网站推荐，采用机器学习个性化推荐，海外华人专用，采用机器学习个性化推荐，支持中英双语界面和全球加速。
https://doskazaymov.kz/ Калькулятор строит таблицу и дает понятный график, без сложных формулировок.
You have made some decent points there. I looked on the internet for more info
about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this
website.
Заходил через VK, это реально удобно. Регистрация в 7к казино онлайн подтянула данные без лишней возни.
Excellent post. I used to be checking constantly this blog
and I am inspired! Extremely helpful information particularly the final section :
) I maintain such info a lot. I used to be looking for this certain info for a very long
time. Thanks and good luck.
After looking at a handful of the blog articles on your web site, I really
appreciate your technique of writing a blog. I book marked it to my bookmark
website list and will be checking back soon. Take a look at my website too and tell me your
opinion.
Wow, awesome blog layout! How long have you been blogging for?
you make blogging look easy. The overall look of your website is great, let alone the content!
Hello colleagues, how is everything, and what you desire to say concerning this paragraph, in my view its truly remarkable in support of me.
Hello, i read your blog occasionally and i own a similar one and i was just wondering if
you get a lot of spam remarks? If so how do you protect against it, any plugin or anything you can suggest?
I get so much lately it’s driving me insane so
any help is very much appreciated.
Hiya very nice site!! Man .. Beautiful .. Superb ..
I’ll bookmark your website and take the feeds additionally?
I am happy to find numerous helpful info right here within the put up,
we need develop more strategies in this regard, thank you
for sharing. . . . . .
多瑙高清完整官方版，海外华人可免费观看最新热播剧集。
真实的人类第三季高清完整官方版，海外华人可免费观看最新热播剧集。
捕风追影下载平台AI深度學習內容匹配，專為海外華人設計，提供高清視頻和直播服務。
Hi there, You’ve done a fantastic job. I’ll definitely
digg it and personally suggest to my friends.
I am sure they will be benefited from this web site.
Howdy excellent blog! Does running a blog like this require a lot of work?
I have no understanding of coding however I was hoping to
start my own blog soon. Anyway, if you have any ideas or tips for new blog owners please share.
I know this is off topic nevertheless I just had to ask.
Thanks a lot!
I’m really inspired along with your writing skills as well as with the
structure in your blog. Is this a paid subject matter or
did you customize it your self? Either way keep up the excellent quality writing, it’s rare to peer a
nice blog like this one these days..
В обзорной статье вы найдете собрание важных фактов и аналитики по самым разнообразным темам. Мы рассматриваем как современные исследования, так и исторические контексты, чтобы вы могли получить полное представление о предмете. Погрузитесь в мир знаний и сделайте шаг к пониманию!
Что скрывают от вас? – https://www.docteur-choffray.be/prestations/slide4-2