The Card on the Porch Rail
“Kathy,” Amanda said, and she pulled the front door shut behind her until it clicked. “Oh. You came.” I was standing on the second step… Read more
The Invitations in the Mop Bucket
“I’ve had a little accident,” Joanne said, and she stepped to one side so I could see the laundry room floor. The bucket was yellow,… Read more
The Coffee She Sent Back to My Mother
“This is not hot,” Constance said. She said it to the cup, not to my mother. Then she put one fingernail against the saucer and… Read more
The Thirty First Call From The Hospital
The thirty-first time, somebody picked up. I was standing in the hallway outside the emergency room at the county hospital in Salina, between a vending… Read more
The Cake My Niece Pushed Off The Table
The cake hit the carpet face down. I remember the sound more than anything. Not a crash. A soft, heavy slap, like a wet towel… Read more
The Gray Dress in My Closet
The closet door was open. That was the first thing. I do not leave my closet door open. Twenty-six years of making up other people’s… Read more