Ambrosia

By: Ann Benson

Narrated by: Ann Benson

By night Regina Bugbee runs an outreach center near Bellevue Hospital for men who don’t trust the regular shelter system, providing a safe, warm place for these forgotten souls. By day she cares for the impaired man who would have been her husband had he not been badly injured running toward - not away - from the collapse of the Twin Towers. She struggles through this complex, tangled life, aching to reclaim the impossibly blue sky of that day - five years before - when the future arrived. But clarity eludes her, until one day the future arrives again. This time it's in the form of a baffling stranger claiming to be, of all things, a Greek god, who is brought to her center by cops after a fight with one of her regulars. But he’s too clean, too sober, and too articulate to fit the usual mold; he’s odd and quirky and - fascinating. And despite the disapproval of her coworkers, friends and therapist, she digs into him to try to solve his mysteries.

She enlists the aid of another client, who overcomes his initial dislike and befriends the stranger. Together this mismatched pair embark on a bizarre trek through the glories and agonies of New York. Even though she cannot seem to pin him down, Gina continues to care for this enigmatic stranger with as much diligence as all her clients, all the while sloshing forward in her quest for emotional respite. But for her heart to survive, she needs love and care herself. A treasured and admired coworker wants to fill that void, but Gina can’t find it in her heart to abandon the hero she once loved.

The stranger has a thing or two to say about that. And he needs something from her, just one small thing, to find his own clarity: he needs her to believe in him. Easier said than done.

©2019 Ann Benson Frost (P)2019 Ann Benson Frost