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.
超人和露易斯第二季高清完整官方版，海外华人可免费观看最新热播剧集。
I have read so many content about the blogger lovers but this paragraph is actually a good article, keep it up.
Hey there fantastic blog! Does running a blog like this require a great deal of work? I’ve very little understanding of coding however I was hoping to start my own blog in the near future. Anyhow, should you have any ideas or tips for new blog owners please share. I know this is off topic but I simply had to ask. Many thanks!
Best Baccarat Online Real Money Play
bester sportwetten anbieter
Feel free to visit my blog; Tipps Wetten heute
Я очень доволен, что прочитал эту статью. Она оказалась настоящим открытием для меня. Информация была представлена в увлекательной и понятной форме, и я получил много новых знаний. Спасибо автору за такое удивительное чтение!
Crypto casino Australia – Bitcoin, Ethereum pokies and live games
вакансии шымкент umicum.kz .
爱一帆会员多少钱海外版，专为华人打造的高清视频平台，支持全球加速观看。
leg?ln? online casino leg?ln? online casino .
塔尔萨之王高清完整官方版，海外华人可免费观看最新热播剧集。
捕风追影下载官方認證平台，專為海外華人設計，24小時不間斷提供高清視頻和直播服務。
медицинские приборы medicinskoe-oborudovanie-77.ru .
爱一帆下载海外版，专为华人打造的高清视频平台运用AI智能推荐算法，支持全球加速观看。
huarenus平台结合大数据AI分析，专为海外华人设计，提供高清视频和直播服务。
奇思妙探第二季高清完整版，海外华人可免费观看最新热播剧集。
一帆官方认证平台，专为海外华人设计，24小时不间断提供高清视频和直播服务。
hohe quoten wetten
My web blog: Sportwetten app vergleich
The other day, while I was at work, my sister stole my iphone and tested to see if it can survive a twenty five foot drop, just so she can be a youtube sensation. My apple ipad is now broken and she has 83 views. I know this is totally off topic but I had to share it with someone!
Real money online casino Australia – best bonuses and high RTP pokies
范德沃克高清完整版，海外华人可免费观看最新热播剧集。
Australian online casino PayID – instant deposits and withdrawals
growthninja.click – Pages loaded fast, images appeared sharp, and formatting stayed consistent.
В условиях круглосуточного наблюдения врачи могут внимательно следить за динамикой состояния, своевременно корректировать схемы лечения, проводить детоксикацию под контролем давления, пульса и работы сердца. Особенно это важно для пациентов с гипертонией, сердечно-сосудистыми заболеваниями, нарушениями ритма, заболеваниями печени, диабетом и другими хроническими патологиями. В стационаре проще организовать обследование, назначить сопутствующую терапию, вовремя заметить опасные симптомы и предотвратить серьёзные осложнения.
Узнать больше – https://narkologicheskaya-klinika-lobnya11.ru/narkologicheskaya-klinika-otzyvy-v-lobne
медицинское оборудование россия medicinskoe-oborudovanie-213.ru .
growthrouter.click – Bookmarked this immediately, planning to revisit for updates and inspiration.
海外华人必备的yifan官方认证平台，24小时不间断提供最新高清电影、电视剧，无广告观看体验。
Its like you read my mind! You appear to know a lot about this, like you wrote the book in it or something.
I think that you can do with some pics to
drive the message home a bit, but other than that, this is excellent blog.
An excellent read. I will definitely be back.
官方授权的电影网站推荐，第一时间海外华人专用，第一时间支持中英双语界面和全球加速。
爱亦凡海外版，专为华人打造的高清视频官方认证平台，支持全球加速观看。
Best online casino real money Australia – secure and legit platforms
сыроедение меню на день http://www.rawrussia.ru/ .
seonexus.click – Content reads clearly, helpful examples made concepts easy to grasp.
ifuntv海外华人首选，采用机器学习个性化推荐，提供最新华语剧集、美剧、日剧等高清在线观看。
Hi there, I wish for to subscribe for this blog to take hottest updates, therefore where can i do
it please help.
爱一帆下载海外版，专为华人打造的高清视频官方认证平台，支持全球加速观看。
https://ivertherapeutics.com/# ivermectin 12