The Billionaire in the Background I’m April, and I’m twenty-six years old. My grandfather’s funeral was supposed to be about honoring his memory, but instead, it turned into the most […]
The Foundation On the table between us sat the white dinnerware set I had given her ten years ago for her wedding. The smell of garlic and roasted tomatoes drifted […]
The Power of Silence The air in Terminal 4 tasted of recycled anxiety, burnt coffee, and the sickly-sweet chemical glaze of Cinnabon. It was a sensory assault, a purgatory of […]
If You’re So Smart, Then Pay Your Own Bills “If you’re so smart, then pay your own bills.” My mom’s voice sliced through the tiny apartment like broken glass, sharp […]
The Beach House I Earned The weight of the brass keys in my palm felt like vindication. After thirty-two years as a librarian at Oakridge Public Library, after decades of […]
The Baptism I Paid For But Couldn’t Attend I arrived at Second Presbyterian Church wearing the dark suit my late wife Nadine bought me fifteen years ago, back when she […]
The Gift of Nothing My name is Ruth Dawson, I’m seventy-three years old, and I live alone in a modest stucco house in a quiet gated community in Naples, Florida, […]
The House That Walter Built My grandson came back up from the basement, and the moment I saw his face, I knew something fundamental had shifted in our world. Owen’s […]
The Burden “Mom, look, we need to be honest. You’re becoming a real burden. Maybe it’s time you figured out your own life.” I didn’t flinch. I didn’t cry. I […]
The Smell of Expensive Lies The smell of expensive lilies and desperation hung heavy in the air of the Grand Meridian Hotel ballroom. It was the kind of scent that […]
