Charlotte couldn't wait for this day to be over. She had never felt this lonely on Valentines Day before. But then again, her mother had been alive last year. After her mother had died that winter Charlotte had moved out of town and she was having a hard time making new friends.
Why can't things be as they used to be? she thought to herself as she walked down the street, groceries in hand. She reached the bus stop and sat down next to a middle aged women. The women was there everyday and she always had a worried look on her face. Charlotte smiled at her just as she did every morning and the woman's face lit up. The bus came and they both got on. About 15 minutes later it stopped in front of Charlotte's apartment building and she got out. She walked into her room and flipped on the lights.
Why does it have to be like this, God? She had never felt as miserable as she did at that moment. She spent the next hour reading and cleaning and then ate a dinner of cold chicken and rice. Right before she turned out the lights there was a knock at her door.
"Hello?" she said as she opened it.
"Hello Honey!" cried her elderly across the hall neighbor, "A woman brought me this letter and asked me to make sure you got it. She also told me to tell you thank you for everything you've done."
"Do you know who she was? I can't think of anyone I know who wouldn't deliver the letter straight to me."
"She didn't say, and she up and left as soon as she handed it to me. Well, goodnight!"
"Goodnight to you too. Oh, what's your name? I don't think I've met you before."
"I'm Jenny Bobkins. Goodnight."
Charlotte went in and closed the door. She sat down on the sofa and started to read the letter.
"Dear friend,
We have never talked together before, but we see each other everyday. You don't know how much your smile means to me. I'm the mother of five children, two boys and three girls. The youngest girl, Evelyn, is a preemie. She was born two months early and it has caused some issues in lung development. She is being cared for at the nicu. A friend of mine comes over every day to watch the for half an hour so I can visit her. My husband spends most of his time working to pay the doctor bills and I don't get to spend as much time as I used to with him. Your smile means so much to me. It reminds me that no matter what happens God is there giving me the strength I need to get through this. Love, Bonnie Ross.
Charlotte folded the letter and sat back.
"Thank you God," she whispered.
The next day she baked cookies and gave some to both Jenny and Bonnie. They were all the best of friends from that day on and every morning after work, Charlotte and Jenny go over and watch Bonnie's children so she can spend extra time with her baby in the nicu and Charlotte arranged for Bonnie's husband to get paid leave off work so that he could spend a month at home with his family.
Why can't things be as they used to be? she thought to herself as she walked down the street, groceries in hand. She reached the bus stop and sat down next to a middle aged women. The women was there everyday and she always had a worried look on her face. Charlotte smiled at her just as she did every morning and the woman's face lit up. The bus came and they both got on. About 15 minutes later it stopped in front of Charlotte's apartment building and she got out. She walked into her room and flipped on the lights.
Why does it have to be like this, God? She had never felt as miserable as she did at that moment. She spent the next hour reading and cleaning and then ate a dinner of cold chicken and rice. Right before she turned out the lights there was a knock at her door.
"Hello?" she said as she opened it.
"Hello Honey!" cried her elderly across the hall neighbor, "A woman brought me this letter and asked me to make sure you got it. She also told me to tell you thank you for everything you've done."
"Do you know who she was? I can't think of anyone I know who wouldn't deliver the letter straight to me."
"She didn't say, and she up and left as soon as she handed it to me. Well, goodnight!"
"Goodnight to you too. Oh, what's your name? I don't think I've met you before."
"I'm Jenny Bobkins. Goodnight."
Charlotte went in and closed the door. She sat down on the sofa and started to read the letter.
"Dear friend,
We have never talked together before, but we see each other everyday. You don't know how much your smile means to me. I'm the mother of five children, two boys and three girls. The youngest girl, Evelyn, is a preemie. She was born two months early and it has caused some issues in lung development. She is being cared for at the nicu. A friend of mine comes over every day to watch the for half an hour so I can visit her. My husband spends most of his time working to pay the doctor bills and I don't get to spend as much time as I used to with him. Your smile means so much to me. It reminds me that no matter what happens God is there giving me the strength I need to get through this. Love, Bonnie Ross.
Charlotte folded the letter and sat back.
"Thank you God," she whispered.
The next day she baked cookies and gave some to both Jenny and Bonnie. They were all the best of friends from that day on and every morning after work, Charlotte and Jenny go over and watch Bonnie's children so she can spend extra time with her baby in the nicu and Charlotte arranged for Bonnie's husband to get paid leave off work so that he could spend a month at home with his family.
I had been planning this for a few weeks and I really didn't want to because what if it doesn't work? I started writing it on Wednesday and it wasn't coming together like I hoped. On Friday I finally figured out where I went wrong and started from scratch. And it worked! After just 7 hours I had a finished story. And I wasn't even working the whole time. I really like how it turned out and I look forward to writing more someday. What do you think about it? What do you think I could improve?
