Araminta reaches for the remote to shut off the TV. The White House has interrupted our programming to bring us a special message from the POTUS himself. “No, no.” I take it from her. “We have to stay up on this. Being able to discuss foreign policy and the state of the union is what separates us...
Water whooshes through the pipes above. By the sounds of it, I’d say he’s just now finishing his shower. We need to leave in five minutes. If he’s not down here by seven-thirty, I’m leaving without him. I’ve never had a tardy in my life, and I’m not about to get one for hi...
It was Jensen’s idea. He said I was a dandelion when he first met me—stubborn, rooted, determined. Little by little I loosened up, and the second I was ready, I scattered to the wind, the best parts of me becoming free to explore the world around me. “Looks good,” he says, examining my wrist in h...
I pound on the front porch door of my biological mother’s saggy-roofed house. For as long as I can remember, she’s lived in this hellhole, rotting floors and all. We were extracted from her care when I was in first grade. Misty was still in diapers. And ironically enough, when shit went down seve...
My mother asks as if she cares. Summer and Kath buzz about the kitchen, doing final prep work for dinner as the younger kids start ushering in from the family room. Dad should be home soon. “How’s your boss?” Summer asks. “Do you like him? Or is it a her?” I almost choke on my iced tea. “My boss ...