My Husband Sold My Two Million Dollar Land For Five Dollars To His Girlfriend

We have the fresh apple butter today, Arthur, Henry said. I made sure they brought a jar up from the basement. Bring it on out, Henry, Arthur said. The store-bought stuff doesn’t have any spice to it. Carter watched them talk, the easy banter of two men who had known each other for twenty years…

I stood on the porch for several minutes after his sedan disappeared around the corner, holding the keys tightly. By noon, the warmth of the Inland Empire sun had dried the grass, and a white van parked in the driveway. A man in gray overalls stepped out, carrying three large paint cans and a wooden…

I let go of the last corner just as the flame reached my fingertips, letting it drop into the grass. The black ashes of the photograph drifted into the dark grass. By eight o’clock Tuesday morning, the dew was still heavy on the broken green ribs of the sunflower stalks. Patrick stood at the edge…

At eleven o’clock, the smell of fresh, wet latex paint filled the room. I dipped the roller into the plastic tray, watching the thick, dark grey paint cling to the nap. I pressed the roller against the pastel pink wall, making a long, vertical stroke that completely covered the painted birds. The pastel pink disappeared…

“You want the roller or the brush?” she asked. “The roller,” I said. “I want to see the yellow disappear.” I dipped the nap of the roller into the tray, coating it evenly until the small ridges were filled with paint. I brought it to the wall, starting in the center and working my way…

“Raking the last of them?” he asked, leaning his hands on the wooden rail. “Yes,” I said. “The new owners will have a clean start on Friday.” “They have two little girls,” Mr. Henderson said. “The youngest was running around the porch when they came by last week.” “I hope they like the yard,” I…