The smoke from the charcoal grill drifted lazily through the oak trees of my mother’s backyard, and I felt the familiar tension settle into my shoulders the moment we turned […]
I never thought I would end up in a pawn shop trying to sell my grandmother’s earrings. I am twenty-nine years old. I have three kids. My husband left two […]
The Loudest Piece My wife Eleanor used to say that the most dangerous thing you could put in a room was a man who had confused wanting something with deserving […]
Thirty-Five Calls The phone lit up at 2:14 in the morning, and I watched it from across the room. I was already awake. I am often awake at that hour, which […]
The Price of Her Yes The burgundy dress had been hanging in my closet for three years, waiting for the right occasion. I had worn it to both of Annie’s […]
The Bank of Maya The maître d’ at Lee Bernard greeted me by name and slipped the hundred-dollar bill I pressed into his palm into his jacket pocket without looking […]
The lobby of the Four Seasons in Maui was the kind of place that made you understand, immediately and without ambiguity, exactly how much money you had spent. The floors […]
Strategized expanding lottery narrative into literary prose The lottery numbers flashed across the screen at eleven forty-three on a Tuesday night, and my fingers went numb around the ticket. I […]
Martha’s Table My name is Martha, and I have spent the better part of my life making things comfortable for other people. I learned how to do this from my […]
Tuesday evening, I drive to Colorado Springs and park outside a quiet coffee shop with warm lights and the low hum of other people’s conversations. I’m forty-five minutes from Eagle […]