He loves me. I study the petal held between my fingertips with interest, amused that something so fragile could determine my heart’s fate. I drop it to float down and land on the pavement where many discarded petals lay scattered… Continue Reading
When Mummy visits, she lets herself in. It doesn’t matter if he’s home or not. Mummy’s got a spare key. Noel initially didn’t have one. He didn’t have one specifically so that he could say, “No, Mum, I haven’t got… Continue Reading
How long does it take to reach a remote island in a remote country? After three flights, four ships and immeasurable jet lag, we arrived in Koh Lipe: a paradise between Thailand and Malaysia. The weather was heavenly, but the… Continue Reading
Mason skipped down 7th Street eyes wide open, soaking in the sights and sounds. He glanced back at his parents following. His father grumbled. His mom smiled as if trying to enjoy herself even though she didn’t like football. Mason… Continue Reading
There’s a neat row of mason jars at the top of her pantry. Abuela’s jars, each filled to the brim with her marmalade. Carefully ladled and labelled with their year. Tied up with ribbon and a neat square of recycled… Continue Reading
Derek Hayes, Grammy winner and chronicler of the 70s and 80s, was an inspiration. At least, Sophie thought so, even if her classmates had never heard of him. Derek beat heroin addiction and several bankruptcies, but always came out okay,… Continue Reading
I saw a man with a Black Flag tattoo at my dispensary. It was on his leg, nice and faded. I’ve got the same one on my wrist from when I turned eighteen – two decades ago, back when we… Continue Reading
Beryl says it’s my own fault. What did I expect, she says, a man of my age acting like that. We were walking back from Morrisons, our weekly visit. We always have a cake and a cuppa in the café.… Continue Reading
“Marie, what do you want to be when you grow up?” I ask my daughter. She’s lying on her stomach, slowly kicking her feet as if swimming through the thick carpet. Her small, blonde head is propped up by a… Continue Reading
After my kids had gone off to school that morning, I killed a spider in the kitchen. It had appeared unexpectedly on the counter and crawled in the lithe, stealthy way I despised. And feared. My breathing staggered as I… Continue Reading