The Porch

A Novel

People are not Edward's forte, but despite his best efforts, people are unavoidable. An autistic adult, Edward finds his routine life disrupted by events that force him to face uncomfortable changes. First, he receives an unusual job assignment that requires him to make monthly visits to a cantankerous old man. Then his widowed mother’s stroke forces Edward to become her caregiver. When the old man overcomes his drug addiction, he tries to make Edward his friend, and Edward is forced to learn to interact. The old man’s recently divorced daughter comes to live with him, and Edward experiences his first romantic infatuation. His crush blossoms into love, which he struggles to express with his limited emotional intelligence. More changes tear Edward out of his routine existence as the old man, now his friend, develops cancer and passes away. He comes to grips with a world of changes and leaves the safety of the old man’s porch to enter the doorway to love and a new life.

©2019 David Alan Armstrong (P)2024 David Alan Armstrong