The Anatomy of Pain_Spacewalk_The Neighbors_The Thrill Ain't Gone
Catalog Guide:
The Anatomy of Pain
"So this is what coming home is all about? I thought you'd all be glad to see me in one piece…" "Believe me, we are," Maria said. Except that Olivia, our other sister, had a more pressing concern which needed "settling" - before I finally go home to the province. Ahead of anyone else who might have gotten to Mom earlier than we could manage. Maria was sitting right next to me, drinking her last refill of iced tea. It's like I hadn't even got to feel the warmth of their reception and there we were, huddled together in a restaurant, brooding over a plan on how to tell Mom. "So where's the ...
Spacewalk
Papa and I stargaze together on these hot summer nights. We go to the soccer field and lie on our backs, cool grass poking our legs and making them itch. Mama says she’s jealous of how much time we spend together. She says it ain’t normal for father and son to be so close. But the way she says it, I know she’s proud. Her jealousy is just a cover—she’s afraid anything she tells me in earnest will send me packing in the opposite direction. And she’s right, I don’t much like being praised out loud. Tonight, I’m glad it’s just me and papa.I take a big breath, inhaling starlight like it might fill ...
The Neighbors
www.onedoor.ccLacey knelt between her rows of tulips, pulling out any growth that might be encroaching on her precious bulbs. Lacey’s fingertips were still nimble despite the oversized gloves and the seventy-five years she had aged. She was keen to pick out any sprout of crabgrass or dandelion that kept cropping up on this side of the yard. The west side of her yard ran parallel to the fence that thankfully held in the mess that was the neighbor’s lawn. That lawn was filled with blotches of color and plants from places she could hardly pronounce. There were tinkling fountains and awful garden gnomes that l...
The Thrill Ain't Gone
"Alright, I'll see you then," Melissa said. She shook her feathered blond curls as she spoke on the phone. She set it down with relief. Her blazer and pants were difficult to move in as she notated in her calendar. She recorded the last appointment she made and reviewed her schedule; she was booked solid. That meant Melissa could rest her poor ear from making phone calls on Saturday. She pulled back her sleeve to check her heart-shaped gold watch. It was only 6:30: if she hurried she could make it home in time. "Melissa, you sticking around?" The speaker, Roger lounged in a windowed office to...