The Forty Hens I Bought Back
The first thing I noticed was the quiet. Forty laying hens are never quiet at two in the afternoon. There is always one bragging about… Read more
The Pencil Marks on My Pantry Door
I heard the front door before I heard the voices. “The kitchen is original,” a woman said. “But it’s solid. They built them solid in… Read more
Forty One Years to the Penny
“It says declined, ma’am.” The boy at the register said it kindly, and he said it low, which I appreciated. He could not have been… Read more
The Mother in the Back Row
“Beige,” I said. “You want me in beige.” “Or tan. Or that oatmeal color. Something that doesn’t pull the eye, Mom.” My daughter sat across… Read more
The Two More Kits We Mailed Back
The box came on a Thursday, two days before the party, with my father’s handwriting on the label. I knew that printing anywhere. Square capitals,… Read more
The Stall I Cleaned on Saturdays
The corral was empty. I stood at the gate with my duffel bag still on my shoulder and looked at it the way you look… Read more
