Bill died early Saturday morning. He wanted chicken tortilla soup for lunch. His fever was gone and his throat was just a little scratchy. We were advised home quarantine since his COVID symptoms were mild. He tested positive and I… Continue Reading
Eleanor hovered over the crowd for half the pageant before spotting him: baseball cap, sunglasses, one hand thrust deep into his pocket, the other snapping photo after photo of “Little Miss Missouri Ozarks” contestants. There was always at least one… Continue Reading
Bill sat in an old folding chair and stared at the glowing embers of the campfire. His wife, Nancy, had always told him he needed an upgrade, one of those fancy bag chairs with cup holders. But he never gave… Continue Reading
His lashes are so dark against his skin. Unable to resist, I kiss him gently on his temple. He stirs, swallows, and rolls on his side away from me. I run a hand softly over his shoulder, down his side,… Continue Reading
At first, she didn’t know it was you. When all the food in the house disappeared overnight and she had to go to work on an empty stomach, she didn’t think of you. When all the fuses blew, so that… Continue Reading
It was the third time that week she sat next to me on the train. I think I was falling in love with her. Not the usual kind, the kind where you fall in love and regret it in a… Continue Reading
Autumn is a terminal season. It signals the end of many things — vacation, summer, longer days. In my case, autumn also brings about the termination of my employment. Today is my last day at what the locals call “the… Continue Reading
I sit on the bottom stair of the empty house, sold sign standing by the hedge. Every item is rehomed or lying deep inside landfill on the edge of town. I can smell George’s snuff and spicy aftershave before I… Continue Reading
A week after they drained the reservoir, the dead returned to the glen. The first reports came from contractors hired to dismantle the old dam. They spoke to the local paper about corpses in the glen, walking the newly exposed… Continue Reading
The fade began at the very edge of Nan’s life. Like an old photo, left in the sun. The colors of her peripheral vision began to wash out. She made a note to get her eyes checked. But her eyes… Continue Reading