Shelby, bent over her bowl of cereal while editing the last twenty pages of her manuscript, pulled a face. “Gross.” “What?” her husband, Ben, asked, putting the finishing touches on his omelet. Shoving the bowl away, she gulped down the remainder of orange juice before replying. “My cereal. It tastes bad.” “Maybe it’s the milk?” “No,” [...]
“J. Edgar Kalamazoo,” Moira growled in her fourth grade teacher rendition of sailor talk. “Where the h-e-double hockey sticks have you been?” “I was helping Uncle Norm, why?” I was telling the truth. “Have you heard the news?” “No.” Again the truth. It was as if I was given this incredible opportunity to make up [...]
I found you. Two clicks and there I was, staring up at your building and remembering so very much about such a short space in my life. Why? Not that it matters, I guess. We weren’t in love, never made the mistake of even making such untrue proclamations, it wasn’t something either of us saw [...]
Five things I want to know: 1. What’s the attraction with a weight that shakes? 2. How can anything grow in freezing cold temperatures eight feet below the water’s surface (e.g. the bottom of my pool)? 3. Why hormonally charged, testosterone driven teenaged boys don’t get all weird about the whole sport of wrestling? 4. [...]
The bus, final destination Chicago, headed towards Salt Lake City, was full. Every seat was taken, mouths moving, mountains breaking way into the flat, pock-marked high desert. “Love,” he said, the seat rocking beneath his wide girth as he resettled himself into the fabric confines. “Isn’t a word to be used lightly. It’s not something [...]
Alcohol abstaining Abigail always bought big bandages before cutting Callie’s cute curls. “Damned dandruff,” David drawled. “Enough, everyone!” Elijah exclaimed. “Friday’s fried, fricasseed frog guts,” Garrett gnawed greedily. Halitosis Hal heaved, hawed; Iguana Izzy, intolerant incubus, jacked Jacob’s jackal jubilantly. “Kill Kramer!” Kathy Kristiansen laughed. Lazy Larry lounged moronically, masticating melons, munching noisily, needlessly. Nefarious [...]
[Part One] Laurel, Kathie has told Kiera, isn’t the typical “finding her way” twenty-something she might appear to be. “She’s very focused, very goal driven, very resourceful.” This alone worries Kiera. Strong people – men or women – cause her to panic. To tense up. To shut down. But Linda, her therapist, and Kathie have [...]
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¶ Do You Hear What I Hear?
“Wait, hold on.” “What?” “Did you hear that just now?” “Hear what?” “Hmm, not hearing it. Go on.” “So as I was saying, I blah blah my blip de dah me yah yah I bleep my and dip–” “There it is again!” “What?” “Just listen.” -pause- “Nope, still not hearing anything. So I then–” “Exactly.”
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