“What are you running away from, Pat?” Carolynn asked, smiling, the contours of her face faintly lit by the sun spilling through the coffee shop window. I leaned forward and cupped my coffee mug with both hands. Every time I… Continue Reading
I was sitting in Café New Orleans on Toronto’s Yonge Street one cool autumn day, watching the foot traffic flow north and south, nursing a coffee, my thoughts diffuse. Except for a young couple sharing a quiet tête-à-tête at a… Continue Reading
The old woman encountered her younger self at a café. It was a classic Seattle café, a favorite haunt that they’d loved and would continue to love for years. The ever-present golden aroma of warm coffee and cinnamon and cream… Continue Reading
“Sorry but could I get just a dollop of whip, please?” The woman’s red hair was framed by the contours of the black SUV. It shone in the early morning light and was a very pretty shade of red, one… Continue Reading
The machine hisses, steam rises, liquid drips. Pale skin, black hair, blue eyes: the unsmiling and tattooed worker moves in a measured way. With his uninjured eye he traces the lines of the mortar in the brickwork behind her; with… Continue Reading
Adam pulled over in the layby below the dam. He was always awed by the scale of it, the vast sheerness of the concrete face, its unconditionally anti-natural design. They used to sit half-way along the top of it, the… Continue Reading
“Good morning, has the pain stopped yet?” I stopped and stared at her. She had a big smile on her young face, her red apron was covered with splashes of syrup and coffee creamer, her pony tail was bristling and… Continue Reading
An old boot props open the door of the cafe. In winter the door expands and is the devil to open. In summer it shrinks and rattles in the breeze. The boot, in its way, keeps the peace. It is… Continue Reading
Stan tries to skip out of the way, but the speeding bicycle passes so close behind him that a pedal clips his ankle, hard. He stammers an apology, even though the bike-messenger is already powering off into the rain. Stan… Continue Reading
A deafening cacophony escaped the kitchen as countless pots and pans crashed to the floor. Andria plugged her ears until the ringing subsided. A high-pitched “Aye aye,” squeaked from her lips. She replaced her fallen utensils and started again. Filling… Continue Reading