The Big Finish

1

The morning started like always, with Nurse Nora rapping on my door, and me hollering at Carl to get his sorry ass out of bed so we didn't miss breakfast. And then there was Nora again, with her coffee breath and her hum of gospel songs, helping me stand and pulling up my trousers and shushing me and winking at me and telling me to let sleeping dogs lie, and Why can't you be nicer, Mr. Duffy, and me telling her if I were both nice and handsome, people wouldn't want to be friends with me.



And then, sure as the sunrise, Nora smiled despite herself, because I have that effect on people, and said, "Who went and told you that you're handsome?"



"A man simply knows these things," I said, sliding my shoes on, using her shoulder as leverage. "Hey, Carl, did you hear Nora calling you a dog?"



"I heard her call you ugly." Carl's walker squeaked on the green linoleum floor as he made his way around his bed, smoothing the wrinkles out of the covers. "She's right too. I've said before that I can't tell the difference between you and Margaret Thatcher, but I think you take it as a compliment."



"I do," I said. "Old Maggie had bigger balls than me."



"Who doesn't?" Carl said, snickering at his own little joke.



Oh, how I loved our daily spar. There was no better way to sharpen the knives and start the day. "Those are fighting words, sir. If the lady of the house wasn't here, I'd set you straight."



"Boys," Nora reprimanded, or rather, as I called her, my Nora--my beautiful honey-skinned, big-breasted, long-nailed, hard-nosed Nora. She was a songbird built like a spark plug, like any good nurse should be.



She said, "The scrambled eggs go cold fast, and I know it's gonna take you a good ten minutes to get down that hall-"



"We move faster than that," I said.



"Mm-hmm. Not if you squeeze in your social hour on the way." She ran a hand over my cowlick and floated over to Carl to dust off his shoulders, where he kept

Brooke Fossey was once an aerospace engineer with a secret clearance before she traded it all in for motherhood and writing. She s a past president and an honorary lifetime member of DFW Writers Workshop. Her work can be found in numerous publications, including Ruminate Magazine and SmokeLong Quarterly. When she s not writing, you can find her in Dallas, Texas with her husband, four kids, and their dog Rufus. She still occasionally does math.

"A funny, witty caper filled with charm and unexpected friendship."--Helen Simonson, New York Times bestselling author of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, on The Big Finish

More praise for The Big Finish

"Warm, funny, and tender, The Big Finish is a journey of discovery and second chances you won't want to end."--J. Ryan Stradal, New York Times bestselling author of The Lager Queen of Minnesota

"The Big Finish is a blast; at turns madcap, hilarious and touching. With the unlikely coupling of Duffy and Josie, Fossey has created an unforgettable duo that will win your heart and keep you laughing from start to finish."--Jonathan Evison, New York Times bestselling author of Lawn Boy

"The Big Finish is a big-hearted, hugely entertaining novel about the most unlikely people being hijacked by second chances. I love novels about makeshift families, and this one's a doozy."--Monica Wood, Author of The One-In-A-Million Boy

"The Big Finish is a beautiful book full of humor, wisdom, and heartbreak. This story of friendship and kinship is a heartwarming reminder that we're never too young for a fresh start or too old for a big finish."--Melissa DeCarlo, Author of The Art of Crash Landing

"Funny and tender, a wonderful novel about redemption, friendship, and showing up for the people you love. Heart-warming and a real hoot!"--Annie Hartnett, Author of Rabbit Cake

"Big-hearted, life-affirming, and page-turning, The Big Finish is everything a novel should be and more. Brooke Fossey is a delightful new voice in fiction."--Jamie Brenner, National bestselling author of The Forever Summer

"The Big Finish is a piercing, witty, and wholly original read."--Kimmery Martin, author of The Antidote for Everything

Filled with humor, heart and hilarious antics, this uplifting tale is a series of joyful high jinks, family life lessons and second chances. --Woman s World

Fossey's debut is a warm and