Today’s post is part of the annual A-to-Z Blogging Challenge. Each day of April (except Sunday,) we write a post corresponding with that day’s letter of the alphabet. For more information on the challenge and its creator visit:

My theme for this years’ A-Z Challenge is Keep Moving Forward ! Todays letter is N and is based on my newly released book, The Stranger in My Recliner. The book is the true story of Sophie. She was the eighty-year-old homeless woman that my husband brought home one night. She lived with us for nearly three –years. The book is out now!

Night Falls

It was cold. The sharp pains in her back and hand reminded her. Trying not to move anything but her eyes she scanned. She saw him and felt relief and fear. Getting up was painful but she had to make sure he was breathing. They both had to get out of there before the school kids walked by, saw them and got scared. The mothers would call the police. She did not want to scare the kids and she definitely did not want to go to the hospital or even worse, jail.

Frank moaned, struggling to get on his feet. Sophie shushed him. The drug addicts were still passed out. They gathered their shopping bags and shuffled their way to the main road. The black sky just under the trees turned gray for a moment and then a bright orange. They shuffled faster. Shelly would be arriving any minute. The thought of hot coffee helped them pick up the pace.

They sat at the booth enjoying the warmth from the sun, soaking up every ray hoping the memory would keep them warm tonight. After lunch Sophie would leave Frank at McDonalds and she would go to the bank, to the storage facility and to the Goodwill store. They needed blankets. There was no time to cry. She found two thick blankets that were reasonably clean. She couldn’t wait to show them to Frank, she was so worried about him.

She could see the red flashing lights ten blocks ahead and knew. Now she was completely alone.

She shuffled back down the side street. Her fingers cramped around the plastic shopping bag handles. The sun was already turning bright orange. She had to get back before it fell behind the trees. She could not remember a time in her 80-years when she felt so terrified.

Again, night falls.

Thank you for reading,

Doreen