I was about to give up when the hold music — a few looping bars of infuriating non-jazz — abruptly cut out. “Hello, Lost Drafts,” a voice said. I fumbled with the receiver. “Hi, I uh… I was told to… Continue Reading
Jonathan and I never touched because I always wore gloves, and the lab instructors wouldn’t answer my questions about him. “Knowing less is better, Julia,” one warned me. “Minimize your distractions. This is Human Anatomy; it’s a cadaver.” “Think about… Continue Reading
Two years ago, Sophia, a lonely single police officer and her young son, settled into this perfect neighborhood. As it turns out, Friday is neighborhood barbeque night. This thrills Sophia, because she loves to share her recipes. No surprise that… Continue Reading
Every time we get together we cook too much, and then we eat too much. Even though our parents did their best to try and teach us proper table manners, we hunch our backs, put our elbows on the table… Continue Reading
Today’s not one of my better days. I received a text from Mary saying that the divorce was final. Ours is a no-fault divorce. It was alarmingly easy to accomplish. Mary and I visited a lawyer together. He explained the… Continue Reading
The third time I walked past the library, I noticed she was still sitting there… reading glasses pushed into her short curly hair, tray of cupcakes in front of her… alone. “Hello,” I said, sitting down on the seat closest… Continue Reading
For a while, Simon thought he was a tortoise too. He was green, and pretty, and liked to bask in the sun. But there was no denying the obvious: even the tortoise’s lethargic pace was faster than Simon could go.… Continue Reading
Every day my head nurse, Mindy, was mean to me. She always gave me the hardest assignments — the patient who yelled “help me” constantly, or the one with explosive diarrhea. Every night, I cried myself to sleep as my… Continue Reading
Mort Slavin rushed through the kitchen when he saw someone stumble outside his house. In his haste, he ran full force into the dining room table, doubled over trying to catch his breath, and by the time he got to… Continue Reading
I’m lying on the floor of the playroom. The ugly carpet is scratchy against my face, my nose is running and my sinuses are playing a drum solo. I rub my cheek back and forth: It keeps me awake. I… Continue Reading