“Oh Brandon!” calls Jake, doing that thing where he emphasises the last part of my name as ‘done’. “You gonna do this again?” I’m breathing hard as I back away through the attic of our house, my step-brother’s voice chasing… Continue Reading
On my forty-first birthday, I paddled my way back into my father’s life. It was the last place I wanted to be. I maneuvered my kayak around the peeling fishing boats and patched up houseboats that made up the floating… Continue Reading
What Caitlyn drew came alive. Broad strokes of floppy green leaves, vibrant purple and yellow with a strawberry center; she drew that when she was 4. The crayon wobbled in her plump fist, resulting in wavy, amorphous leaves, but the… Continue Reading
The crack of the baseball bat against Jason’s knees incites power I’ve never felt, but I should have smashed his jaw. He drops to the floor, profanity spewing from his mouth. My grip tightens on the bat. I know what… Continue Reading
Moose’s snoring is quieter than a mass shooting in a shopping mall, but not by much. Tiny shakes him. “For goodness sake, I can’t sleep.” Moose rolls towards Tiny, kisses him on the shoulder and slides a hand down his… Continue Reading
The ringing of the church’s campana let them know that the ceremony was about to start. She held her Mami’s hand as tight as she could. She never wanted to do her first communion in the first place. Papi made… Continue Reading
For the first weeks after Nicholas ran away, I’d run for the front door in the morning. Ma would find me staring at the steps. At first she said things like “Maybe tomorrow,” and then after a while she’d go… Continue Reading
78 days ago. That morning, I had burned my tongue on my coffee which already had too much cream in it. I remember this because the pain was something that I could focus on. Something besides his leaving. Usually, when… Continue Reading
I brought my father’s picture with me so I’d recognize him. The photo showed him with both arms draped around my mom’s shoulders as if he were protecting her from some unseen foe. I guess that’s what my high school… Continue Reading
The deputy said the snow where Uncle Jake had broken his neck is interesting. Over by Harper’s cabin a jay is harping and there are flashing red and blue LED lights on top of all of the sheriff cars and… Continue Reading