***A continuation of the last story with Tom and Shelley here*** “Oh Tom, it’s not you, really.”  Shelley said. Then she heaved a sigh.  An ominous, brace-yourself-buddy-for-what-I’m-going-to-lay-down kind of sigh.  A sigh indicating a wish that this beach had a convenient swim-up bar at which to purchase some Dutch Courage. “I don’t even know how […]

I tend to walk with my eyes downcast. I watch the sidewalk.  For debris, cracks, dog shit. So when the snow started to fall, I didn’t notice it. As I had put down my head and started my walk I was on the north side of campus.  Now, heading south through the park toward my […]

Gritty. In her mouth, in her suit, in her mind. “When did I become such a killjoy?” He cocked an eyebrow, and said, “What do you mean, ‘when’?” “Pffft.” Shelley wiggled her toes, displacing Tom’s weatherbeaten ones in the sand.  She tried to re-embody childhood memories. warmth tickling toes, laughter dancing on the air, eyes […]

“Please,” I said, through tears.  Salty, danger-on-the-highway-inducing tears.  “Please let’s just take this exit.  We can go to the beach.” I didn’t really expect him to say yes, I just needed to fight. “You know I can’t” he said, looking out of the window transfixed as the exit for Half Moon Bay passed us by. […]

Somehow, his feet moved. Left. Right. Left. Right. As if walking were actually an involuntary reflex propelling him forward. Had he remembered the napkin?  He always wrote on napkins, why was that? Pat the coat pocket.  Pat the back pocket.  Dig in the pants pocket. No napkin. But here he was, feet now lead, sinking […]

“Three… Two… One…” Each finger disappears along with the number, until there are none. Then I “woosh!” my hand away as your teeth arrange themselves into the smile that I can see always, even with my eyes closed, like the imprint of the light after a sunset stare. “One… Two… Three… Four… Fiiiiiiiivvvvve!” This time […]

The doorbell rings. The children sing. The adults sing, too, but only halfheartedly with busy hands full of scarves and lonely single mittens… and busy heads full of lists and anxious “what if”s rather than words to a time-worn carol. As always, there are somehow too many sopranos. How are there always too many sopranos? […]

Long.  Long because he wouldn’t let me cut it.  Long to my butt.  Long catching on anything and everything.  Long giving me headaches. Short.  Not too short. Short because he can’t control me anymore.  Short because it’s what you do when you move away from home to college.  Short because I took the scissors to […]

The Solo Roadtrip. The roadtrip you take after you’ve procrastinated as long as possible because you’re not actually sure that you want to spend 5 hours in a small car with, well, yourself. After three Frappuccinos and hastily packing clothes, I’m on my way — hair pragmatically yet attractively clipped away from my face. (It’s […]

Useless! Jane’s head whipped around to stare incredulously at Tom. “What did you just say?!” Tom’s face grew hot under Jane’s focused stare. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud. Damn! “Oh, I’m sorry,” he said, flint coming into his eyes, “was that my outside voice?” This was how they always started, their arguments. […]