Three Suitcases Left in the Rain and Nineteen Million Dollars in Cancun

I did not answer, watching the water in the kettle begin to simmer. “We have our position to think of,” she said. “The historical society has several board members who sit on the township committee, Mia. You must think about your own future.” “My future is here,” I said. “I am only asking for your…

The physical labor of the morning had left me tired, but it was a clean sort of fatigue. It was the kind of tired that came from building something rather than defending it. I looked at the barn roof, noting a spot where the tin had peeled back during the last windstorm. I would need…

He smiled, and the tension that had been in his shoulders since October twelfth seemed to disappear entirely. We walked into the living room, where the wooden box that had held the hair clippers was sitting on the dining table. The clippers were gone, packed away in the drawer, but the space on the bookshelf…

There was only the soft click of plastic toys landing on the floor and the occasional hum of a passing car on the street below. Owen looked up at me, his brown eyes clear and wide under his messy fringe of brown hair. “The green dog is the king,” he said. “Is he a good…

The hills of southern Ohio rose in the distance, their ridges turning a deep, dusty blue as the sun began to slip behind the tree line. The wind was moving through the leaves of our old maple tree, making a soft, rustling sound that felt like water running over smooth stones. “We should plant some…

“The movers’ deposit was six hundred dollars,” I said, looking at Martha. “But I have enough left in my personal account to cover the utility bill next month.” “Don’t worry about the utility bill,” Martha said, adjusting her glasses. “We will handle it together.” “I want to pay my own way,” I said. “You are…