As prompted by 2023 Creative Writing Class
He kicked the balding tires, swirling up dirt. Alice had run out of gas halfway to meet his new granddaughter (and son-in-law, for that matter). Stuck in the Arizona sun, cellphone-less. A Camry raced past on the empty highway. Tires screeched. Jim turned toward the reversing car, recognizing the face from Lily’s photos, and smiled.
_
“I’ve been waiting for 35 minutes! I’m late for work!”
“Sir, I am sorry for the inconvenience. Please hold.”
Gregory death gripped his phone.
His wife walked through the door, shaken. Gregory dropped the phone, seeing the totaled car in the driveway.
“Mr. Kress?”
“Thank you for the delay,” he gasped, as he held her.
_
Chris stared blankly at the black and white lines before her, chest heavy. Maestro gestured again, wider to grab her attention. She shook her head, clearing thoughts of the diagnosis, and inhaled. I will do the elective surgery. Like that, Chris was back in the concert hall, sitting before her favorite Steinway, ready to perform.