The week between Christmas and New Year, the casino town gets almost peaceful. Fewer tourists, less noise.
I was supposed to call my mom, check on my youngest siblings. But I dialed a number one digit off.
A woman answered. Not annoyed, just curious. She asked if everything was okay.
I told her it was a wrong number. She laughed and said, 'Well, since you're here, how's your holiday been?'
We talked for ten minutes. She had a paper crown from a fast food kids' meal sitting on her counter.
'What does a landscaper do in a casino town in winter?' she asked. 'Snow shovels and hope,' I said.
She told me about rebuilding her life after a divorce. Said starting over feels like breathing for the first time.
I hung up and looked at the quiet street. Maybe I could start with just one wrong number going right.