Celeste is pissed. She is literally sick and tired of people telling her how she should feel. “Thanks, but no Mr. Macklethorn, I don’t think things have worked out well all things considered. Online Editor of Benefits wasn’t the position I wanted and I don’t give a fig how many assignments I can file remotely, before and during my leave. There’s no upside to my leave of absence sir. And if you’re going to keep Read more
I have to tell you I was a little embarrassed. I mean I had no idea where you were and there’s your mom asking one hundred and one questions. Literally. I really believe she can squeeze that many into a half an hour. She talks fast man! Anyway, I know you need your space but maybe we should tell people something,… at least acknowledge we have a unique arrangement… Yeah, just make it sound exotic Read more
The first time the message came from a robin. P was four but she wasn’t afraid because her mom’s name was Robin. That was the first time P realized she didn’t look like her mom. She didn’t look like her dad either. But the park was full of people who looked like her. The next year the message came from a tree. She didn’t tell her parents about the messages. Her parents didn’t keep secrets. Read more
This is not the setting Gwen imagined, a nondescript hospital room. But it makes sense, these are the last hours of her mother’s life. If not with her dying breath when else would she whisper the secret she denied for a lifetime. Pastels and pressed wood. Gwen wishes there was more color. There hasn’t been enough time to de-sterilize the space. Gwen regrets not grabbing the fuchsia pink throw on the way out the door. Read more
Erica doesn’t much care about what she wears as long as it doesn’t itch. Her sister tired of her wearing the same black stretch pants and men’s sweaters, so she became her personal shopper. Meaghan has good “fashion sense” and calls herself a “fashionista”. Erica thinks the terms sound asinine but appreciates her sister finding clothes that make her want to go dancing again. Erica had stopped going to Salsa Night when the scale tipped Read more
The fucking words were getting more elusive, the sting of the scotch did little to help with their flow. Carl stared at the flashing blue line with rheumy eyes wondering why he was even bothering. The eviction notice was hours from being posted and he’d spurned his last true friend more than a decade ago. Who was he expecting to find the note? Last words. Lost words. Carl marveled at the muteness of his mind Read more
Jake was pretty sure this was the first time Susannah had ever made a statement. Ironic really. But he couldn’t tell her that right now, she was repeating the statement. “We are not having this conversation.” She put more space between the words, taking time to sip breaths through her pinched pink nostrils. Jake thought it was also not the time to notice she looked cute when she was angry. Maybe the Read more
Marcus knew she was making up truths. Evangeline was the only one what got some schoolin’ but she said things that weren’t possibly right. She come back up the hill today tellin’ everybody that teeth was just more bones. Marcus didn’t think that was true for everyone. Some people, like Luther George couldn’t ever possibly have bones as soft as their teeth. If his bones rotted out the way his teeth did they might as well stick Read more