Jennifer sits at the kitchen table, the sun hitting her dark brown hair and highlighting the pretty red undertones. Her face is drawn and pale and she stares down at the table as though her life is over. I want… Continue Reading
It wasn’t Spring. The temperature fluctuated from one day to the next, teasing us with sunshine and warm weather, and the next day, temps plummeted and froze again. The cherry tree, azaleas, and buttercup blossoms turned brown and withered. One… Continue Reading
Dane sat outside waiting for the bus. He wore dark green coveralls and a pair of plain work boots. A brown paper bag, tenuously housing his lunch, hung limply between his legs, its opening twisted and untwisted in his fists.… Continue Reading
By the end of the road trip we were all exhausted and none of us wanted to be there. There was only one night left before our long drive home. My son was ten and refused to do anything other… Continue Reading
Sam and Katie dash into the surf. They are four and six and so full of life it breaks Anna’s heart. She’s walking twenty yards behind them. Her husband, Jim, trudges along beside her. “Don’t go out too far,” Anna… Continue Reading
The sun shone bright in the small southern California town’s blue sky. The fall wine festival was in full swing. A local band plucked their guitar strings and happy couples strolled by, holding wine glasses. Families walked together, enjoying their… Continue Reading
It’s the middle of the eighth inning, and Jake’s eleven-year-old daughter, Sandy, lies on her stomach two feet from the television screen. Her light brown ponytail sticks out the back of a baseball cap—their team’s cap. Propping up her chin… Continue Reading
I was tired that night anyway, and the Tylenol that Mom gave me got me to sleep quickly. But a couple hours later the pain woke me, and I remember mindlessly rustling in the bed. It was late and I… Continue Reading
“Timmy, what is it now?” Mark snapped at the small figure in the kitchen doorway. “Phone ringing, Dadda.” Timmy waved the mobile phone at his father. “It’s no bloody wonder I can’t hear it, the noise the two of you… Continue Reading
“But I’ve done everything you asked for the last twelve years. You said I’d have a choice!” “You do. The choice is between electrical engineering or biochemistry. Not music.” I watched his hands bend into claws of frustration. He looked… Continue Reading