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.
гс игра CS 1.6 Steam – вариант для тех, кто предпочитает официальные платформы и их преимущества.
convertio.click – Mobile version looks perfect; no glitches, fast scrolling, crisp text.
scalewave.click – Overall, professional vibe here; trustworthy, polished, and pleasantly minimal throughout.
adsfactory.click – Bookmarked this immediately, planning to revisit for updates and inspiration.
top sms activate alternatives top sms activate alternatives .
reachrocket.click – Color palette felt calming, nothing distracting, just focused, thoughtful design.
sms activate alternatives http://linkedin.com/pulse/top-5-sms-activate-services-ultimate-guide-virtual-phone-mike-davis-gnhre/ .
clickrly.click – Appreciate the typography choices; comfortable spacing improved my reading experience.
https://emiratesambassadeurs.com/vip-concierge/ Allocation or ready piece for Aquanaut 5968A in Miami: Emirates Ambassadeurs Geneva can track down options with full set confirmed.
I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my
own blog and was curious what all is required to get set up?
I’m assuming having a blog like yours would
cost a pretty penny? I’m not very internet smart so I’m not 100% sure.
Any recommendations or advice would be greatly
appreciated. Appreciate it
linkladder.click – Found practical insights today; sharing this article with colleagues later.
convertio.click – Appreciate the typography choices; comfortable spacing improved my reading experience.
1win как вывести на элсом 1win как вывести на элсом
Heya i am for the first time here. I came across this
board and I find It really useful & it helped me out much.
I hope to give something back and help others like you helped me.
This is a very informative post about online
casinos and betting platforms. I especially
liked how it explains the importance of choosing a licensed site before registering.
Many players often ask where to find reliable gaming platforms with fair odds and smooth withdrawals.
In my experience, checking platforms like milyon88games.com helps users understand
what features to look for in a legit online casino.
Thanks for sharing these insights — they’re useful for both beginners and experienced players.
Hi there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this website before but after reading through some of the post I realized it’s new to me.
Anyhow, I’m definitely glad I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back often!
заказать дипломную работу онлайн kupit-kursovuyu-68.ru .
Hi, I desire to subscribe for this weblog to take most up-to-date updates,
therefore where can i do it please assist.
Если вам необходим консультация юриста по жилищным вопросам, мы готовы предоставить квалифицированную помощь в решении любых жилищных споров.
Адвокат, занимающийся жилищными вопросами, предоставляет экспертизу в области недвижимости.
Он отлично ориентируется в правовых нюансах, связанных с жильем.
Основная задача такого юриста — обеспечить защиту прав собственников и арендаторов .
Он способен подготовить любые необходимые документы для сделок с недвижимостью.
Юридическая поддержка включает подготовку исковых заявлений и представительство в суде .
Консультации по жилищным вопросам помогают избежать множества проблем.
Юрист помогает подготовиться к различным юридическим ситуациям, связанным с жильем.
Благодаря его помощи, клиенты получают уверенность и спокойствие при решении жилищных вопросов .
linkladder.click – Color palette felt calming, nothing distracting, just focused, thoughtful design.
夜班经理第二季2026 海外华人谍战悬疑 高清紧张刺激 AI匹配
sms activate alternatives sms activate alternatives .
Hello my loved one! I wish to say that this post is awesome, nice written and come with approximately all important infos. I’d like to peer more posts like this .
骄阳似我2026 宋威龙赵今麦现偶甜宠爆款 海外华人高清在线观看 全球加速无广告体验
История и характер «Лады» — это путь через трудности к громким победам и возвращениям. Домашние матчи команды славятся борьбой, дисциплиной и особой атмосферой трибун, где рождается настоящая поддержка. Узнайте о ключевых этапах и эмоциях клуба — подробнее здесь: https://telegra.ph/Istoriya-i-harakter-Lady-klyuchevye-pobedy-i-put-komandy-02-03
фриспины за регистрацию Желаешь начать игру в казино без риска? Открой для себя мир “казино без депозита”, где реальные деньги становятся твоими с первого шага.
有罪之身2026 魏大勋孙千悬疑绑架矿难 海外华人免费高清陆剧 全球加速无广告
Как отправить букет цветов в другой город Информируем о новинках букетов первыми
Thank you for another wonderful post. Where else may anybody get that kind of info in such a perfect way of
writing? I’ve a presentation next week, and I’m at the
look for such info.
Hola! I’ve been reading your blog for a while now and finally got
the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from Austin Tx!
Just wanted to tell you keep up the excellent work!
trendfunnel.click – Content reads clearly, helpful examples made concepts easy to grasp.
Букет на заказ Вежливый персонал цветочного салона всегда
решение курсовых работ на заказ kupit-kursovuyu-67.ru .
I was wondering if you ever considered changing the
page layout of your site? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say.
But maybe you could a little more in the way of
content so people could connect with it better.
Youve got an awful lot of text for only having one or two images.
Maybe you could space it out better?
This blog was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I’ve found something
which helped me. Thanks a lot!
scalewave.click – Pages loaded fast, images appeared sharp, and formatting stayed consistent.
сайт для заказа курсовых работ сайт для заказа курсовых работ .
constantly i used to read smaller content that also clear their motive, and that is also happening with this piece of writing which I am reading now.
adsfactory.click – Color palette felt calming, nothing distracting, just focused, thoughtful design.
1win скачать с официального сайта http://www.1win48762.help