Nan indulged him, but didn’t tell the others. When Aidan called, and spoke a rush of mud and seeds, clovers and pots of rainbow of gold, she lied. She told him his Papa was napping after a long day hoeing the garden and pea planting. In truth, his Papa, Doc, had planted the seeds the [...]
¶ Marigold
Why does he call you Marigold? Peyton paused mid-pour, and her mind spilled polka-dots of black tea splats all over her mother’s best linen. She shrugged. To her, Papa’s nickname wasn’t a word, it was a cadence, a song, a rhythm that meant there was peace. Meh-reh-guld, Meh-reh-guld, he called her when the world was [...]
He followed her gentle sway to the back of the salon. As she walked, her fist dug into the curve of her back and he focused his attention there, willing away her pain, wondering if she’d jump at his touch. Anna had come to him every six weeks for the past four years, but this [...]
¶ Homeless
There are people who do not belong. Audra trails fingers down the newly painted wall until she reaches the corner and stops. She knows you are watching. She turns into your gaze, lips caught between teeth, eyes wide with hope. Maybe this will be the place. If home is where the heart is, you know [...]
¶ Forward
My last four stories were set on a beach, the same beach, though I’m not sure anyone noticed. There are links between the four stories and I did try some new styles and elements. I’m ready to move on. I am inspired by the beaches of the Pacific Northwest and have included some of my [...]
¶ Baptism
A chair gouged the stone floor and a man dashed after the fisherman. Someone silenced the music and the barista stood frozen, stirring. A tide of voices floated to the back of the cafe as gossip turned to speculation. The man in dripping waders had gulped a single word and disappeared. Now a woman in [...]
Metal scraped stone, sweeping back rays of autumn afternoon. Customers posed on chairs and couches, faces bathed in blue light and restrained emotion. He shuffled forward in the line, squinting at the neon hieroglyphics on the menu board. The young woman in front of him recited her order, and though he recognized the words, they [...]