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    The Final Chapter: A Short Story Collection
    The Final Chapter: A Short Story Collection
    The Final Chapter: A Short Story Collection
    Ebook43 pages38 minutes

    The Final Chapter: A Short Story Collection

    By Janice Alonso

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    About this ebook

    The Final Chapter – a story of a woman who struggles emotionally and financially while dealing with her father’s Alzheimer’s. Hank – Super Genius – a story of a woman who nostalgically reflects on the “square peg in a round hole” child she knew in school. Catch of the Day – a story about a writer who serendipitously finds food for her sagging creativity as she studies two early morning fishermen on the beach. Green Is the Color of My True Love’s Eyes – a story of four women who envy what each other has, based on the theme “the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.” The Queen of Hearts- a story of a woman’s struggle to release anger and resentment at the death of her younger sister.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJanice Alonso
    Release dateOct 2, 2014
    ISBN9781310480324
    The Final Chapter: A Short Story Collection
    Author

    Janice Alonso

    Janice Alonso's work appears regularly in Christian, mystery, and children's publications.

    Read more from Janice Alonso

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      Book preview

      The Final Chapter - Janice Alonso

      The Final Chapter

      A Short Story Collection

      by

      Janice Alonso

      Smashwords Edition

      Copyright © 2014 Janice Alonso

      License Notes: This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Ebook formatting by www.ebooklaunch.com

      Table of Contents

      The Final Chapter

      Hank - Super Genius

      Catch of the Day

      Green Is the Color of My True Love's Eyes

      The Queen of Hearts

      The Final Chapter

      Gabrielle slides the key into the lock of the bookshop door, giving it a jiggle. Like everything in her life lately, the lock is old and finicky and has special needs and peculiarities requiring it to work properly. Her left hand grips her Dad's arm. The arm is angular, and she can feel the sharp knobs on either side of the elbow as she pulls him closer and out of the rain. Streams cascade off the mildewed awning and drench his fedora. The hat has served him well, and it will have to keep serving if things don't soon improve for the better: for the much, much better. Her dad's ever-growing health demands have forced her to keep shorter hours at their bookshop. This loss of income, added to the spiraling price of his medications, has required her to take regular withdrawals from her savings account each month to make ends meet.

      He lowers his head and his eyes latch onto hers, struggling for a click of recognition that will allow him entrance to a familiar world. A drop rolls off the hat's brim, finds the gap between Gabrielle's neck and shirt collar, and snakes an icy path down her bare back. She glances up to her Dad. He blinks rapidly, his head swiveling to look across the street, to the clock face in Brennan's Pharmacy tower and then back to the key in the lock.

      It's okay, Dad, she reassures him as she jangles the key harder, Almost got it now.

      Her eyes focus on the clock: 9:59. Her pulse quickens and she returns her attention to the lock, prodding and poking frantically, cajoling and wiggling the key out and then sliding it back in, this time finding the sweet spot that releases the pin.

      Gabrielle's muscles relax and she smiles. See, we're in. Her heart returns to a softer rhythm.

      She pushes open the door and steps aside. Her hand leaves his elbow and finds that familiar hollow in the small of his back. Although his vertebrae is curved now, brittle and worn beneath her fingertips, the touch reminds her of a time when that spine supported the weight of their world, fought to forge the memories for the life story that is theirs. She coaxes him inside and just as the door shuts,

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