“I didn’t see it coming,” I said to Thomas.
I didn’t know Thomas. Well, not well. I’d just met him 35 minutes ago when I entered the bar. Alone. For the first time in my 54 years of life.
“You didn’t see what coming?” Thomas asked. Continue reading
flash fiction
A Dog’s Best Friend
I can’t believe what I saw.
Charlie and I sat in his living room. Toto, Charlie‘s dog, a rescue who seemed a mix of German Shepherd and poodle, sat quietly by Charlie’s side.
I knew that Toto‘s presence was beneficial to Charlie, who was deaf with only partial eyesight. Despite this fact, my new friend was loquacious; he talked about dozens of topics with focused intelligence and wit: politics, religion, matters of the Spirit, and the Arts. Continue reading
Carry On Conversation
She stows her carry-on in the overhead compartment, then sits next to the window. Unfortunately, this is not a trip for pleasure. Nor is it for business.
Stacey sits quietly, barely acknowledging the large man who arrives to the middle seat and sits with a “thunk.” Fortunately, she’d clicked on her AirPods even before her seat belt. The soothing sounds of Mozart surround her, helping her swallow the tears that want to explode from her red eyes. Continue reading
Can’t Help Falling …
“It’s right under your nose! Can’t you tell?” Cindy asks, with obvious impatience.
“Nothing is under my nose nor under anything else on my body. You’re looking for something that’s just not there,” Jennifer replies tartly.
Cindy rolls her eyes. Maybe her still-single friend is still single at the age of 48 because she has no clue how to read the clues. Continue reading
Tattoo Trauma
I didn’t think she’d agree to it – my granddaughter. Months earlier I endured facial surgery to remove what we thought was an unexpected birthmark, which instead turned out to be skin cancer.
Originally 16-year-old Sophie told me my ‘birthmark’ was cute. “Looks like a heart, Madre,” she exclaimed, even though it was centered on my nose. After the surgeon removed the “heart” and the cancer was eradicated, I joked with Sophie, “Well, I guess we’ll just have to get a tattoo of a heart – you and me.” Continue reading
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