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.
trendfunnel.click – Bookmarked this immediately, planning to revisit for updates and inspiration.
scalewave.click – Loved the layout today; clean, simple, and genuinely user-friendly overall.
linkladder.click – Overall, professional vibe here; trustworthy, polished, and pleasantly minimal throughout.
как играть в aviator mostbet как играть в aviator mostbet
adsfactory.click – Navigation felt smooth, found everything quickly without any confusing steps.
Appreciating the commitment you put into your blog and in depth information you present. It’s great to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same old rehashed material. Great read! I’ve bookmarked your site and I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google account.
официальный сайт Banda Casino
sportwett anbieter
Also visit my homepage Basketball-Wetten.Com
Фармилки Telegram стал настоящей экосистемой для криптовалютных проектов, предлагая удобные инструменты для общения, проведения аирдропов, запуска ботов для майнинга и тапалок, а также целые игровые платформы – фармилки.
Букеты цветов в москве Сборные букеты из разных цветов в наличии
sms activate login sms activate login .
I am sure this article has touched all the internet people, its
really really pleasant post on building up new web site.
Комплексное лечение зависимости на дому организовано по четкой схеме, позволяющей оперативно вывести пациента из запоя и обеспечить безопасное восстановление здоровья.
Детальнее – врач вывод из запоя
reachrocket.click – Loved the layout today; clean, simple, and genuinely user-friendly overall.
clickrly.click – Found practical insights today; sharing this article with colleagues later.
trendfunnel.click – Navigation felt smooth, found everything quickly without any confusing steps.
convertio.click – Mobile version looks perfect; no glitches, fast scrolling, crisp text.
scalewave.click – Navigation felt smooth, found everything quickly without any confusing steps.
zuverlässige wett tipps
My web-site: wettanbieter beste quoten
I was searching for background info and came across the main website: 1xBet website
Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is a really well written article. I’ll make sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your useful info. Thanks for the post. I’ll definitely comeback.
sms activate service sms activate service .
top sms activate services github.com/sms-activate-login .
An impressive share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a co-worker who was doing a little homework on this.
And he in fact ordered me lunch simply because I discovered it for him…
lol. So let me reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!! But
yeah, thanks for spending some time to talk about this matter here on your blog.
Обычно работа строится по этапам, где каждый шаг логически продолжает предыдущий:
Узнать больше – vyvod-iz-zapoya-moskovskij-oblast
We stumbled over here coming from a different web address and thought I may as well check things
out. I like what I see so now i am following you. Look forward to exploring your
web page for a second time.
sms activate https://linkedin.com/pulse/top-5-sms-activate-services-ultimate-guide-virtual-phone-mike-davis-gnhre .
замена шпал на железнодорожных путях Строительство железнодорожных путей, будь то новые линии, подъездные пути или пути необщего пользования, – это сложный и масштабный процесс, требующий точной организации и использования современной техники.
adsfactory.click – Appreciate the typography choices; comfortable spacing improved my reading experience.
бездепозитные промокоды Ищешь секретный ключ к азартным приключениям? Открой для себя мир эксклюзивных промокодов казино, которые превратят твою игру в настоящую феерию удачи!
заказать курсовую работу заказать курсовую работу .
reachrocket.click – Found practical insights today; sharing this article with colleagues later.
linkladder.click – Appreciate the typography choices; comfortable spacing improved my reading experience.
clickrly.click – Content reads clearly, helpful examples made concepts easy to grasp.
Есть ряд признаков, при которых ждать категорически нельзя и нужна срочная помощь врача, а не очередные «народные методы». Если вы замечаете у человека следующие симптомы, это прямой повод организовать профессиональный вывод из запоя:
Углубиться в тему – вывод из запоя в москве недорого
I personally find that this platform exceeded my expectations with robust security and scalable features.
Hey there! Would you mind if I share your blog with my facebook group?
There’s a lot of people that I think would really enjoy your content.
Please let me know. Thanks
convertio.click – Bookmarked this immediately, planning to revisit for updates and inspiration.
I am not sure where you are getting your information, but great
topic. I needs to spend some time learning more or understanding more.
Thanks for great info I was looking for this information for my mission.
сколько стоит курсовая работа по юриспруденции сколько стоит курсовая работа по юриспруденции .
multi wette pferderennen
My site Sportwetten Lizenz öSterreich [Gratis-Wetten.Com]
нейросети для студентов нейросети для студентов .
мостбет скачать с официального сайта https://www.mostbet84736.help
The cross-chain transfers process is simple and the scalable features makes it even better. Charts are accurate and load instantly.
Greetings from Ohio! I’m bored to death at work so I decided to browse your website on my iphone during lunch break.
I enjoy the information you provide here and can’t wait to take a look
when I get home. I’m surprised at how fast your blog loaded
on my mobile .. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyways, excellent site!
Hello to every body, it’s my first visit of this weblog; this webpage carries awesome and truly fine material designed for readers.
Awesome blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere?
A theme like yours with a few simple adjustements would really make my blog shine.
Please let me know where you got your theme. Thank you