It was no ordinary beanbag. Well, actually, it was quite ordinary, which was part of the problem. It was a sturdy faded blue cloth bag,

Mementoes and awards, framed photos and letters from devoted friends of local prominence and covers of journals where my stories found a home and, resting

“Where is my number one?” called Jenny to her only child Jolene, as she unlocked the front door to the modest two-bedroom villa she rented.

I forgive him for the little lies. The little fibs that slip away and the broken promises that go unkept. He always tells the same

Amélie and I reached the foot of the hill around midday. It was lizard green, dotted with trees, bushes and cactus plants, and a sandy

One morning when I was feeding our birds in the coop, I noticed that two of our pigeons were moving as though drunk. “José, have

I. “Join the Army or go to jail”? That’s, like, still a thing judges say? Alder shrugged, finished his cigarette and tossed it into the

The familiarity of the arms of a stranger in the bar bathroom, the lip gloss passed around, the communal yell of acceptance for a forgettable

Me cleaning the house and straightening the bedroom in particular, with new sheets and all, was not a wasted effort, no matter what. And doubly

The Britisher met the Hong Kong girl in neutral territory, Japan, and wooed her the same way he would have a hundred others. “You’re like

Jennie’s obituary in the newspaper wasn’t exactly a surprise to Ted. It would have been nice, though, if one of the kids had phoned or

One morning, Michael woke up craving adventure. He was tired of his conventional life and more than a little embarrassed that he had never acted

Anna heard the clang and clash of the latch on the gate at the side of their house, and her mom stomping into her brother,

Dear Mrs. Marook,  I think we’ve met, but you might not remember me. I’m Willa, Amanda’s roommate from  college. I’ll get around to telling you

Because of residual COVID restrictions the little pieces and bread and the plastic thimbles of grape juice are no longer dispensed from the front of