The Bench

by Penelope Alonso

It's just a bench, right? What would you do if the most meaningful conversations of your life turned out to be with people who were already dead. Strangers at first, figments in a fractured spot in time, Claire finds true understanding, compassion, and even love, sitting on the stoic bench that overlooks her mother's grave. Year after year, decade after decade, visits with the afterlives she has connected with on The Bench provide Claire with the strength to endure life's obstacles, and the inspiration to experience the most heartwarming moments of life with true acceptance and joy. To her surprise, Claire even experiences the glimmer of true love, as her conversations with one particular bench visitor, over time, reveal what Claire has always felt deeply in her Her truest love was not of her lifetime.

27 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 30, 2025