It was mid-June and in two weeks Shirley had already canceled two lunches with her mother, a blind date with Tony and an impromptu shopping trip with Frankie — her best friend since elementary school. Unlike her giddy colleagues on that Friday afternoon, Shirley turned her phone on silent and…

Maisie stopped when she reached the bakery and scrunched her toes in her plastic sandals. It was the thought of a raspberry croissant that had kept her encouraged throughout the day — starting from when she first imagined the taste of such a magnificent combination. She had said goodbye to…

Sonia walked into the dimly-lit speakeasy, Mathilda’s, with the usual apprehension. Afterall, this was her 101st date in six months and she was, simply put, fed up. She looked around — designer orange wallpaper with countryside scenes, plush velvet green seating, and a roaring fireplace. There wasn’t an empty seat…

Shelly and Toby ran in circles around Mama until she dropped dead. Well, not exactly, but that’s what they were hoping for. They had asked her for pancakes at 7 am, and she said, “Not now, at 8,” and then at 7:02 they inquired again, and she said, “Not now…

The late afternoon winter sun spilled over the sleeping kitten with a warmth that pushed her further into deep slumber. She was very relaxed and dreamt of plump mice, swimming salmon and furry toys. She snored, twitched her whiskers, and rolled over onto her back. She ate five, then ten…

Augusta vanished behind the brick wall as soon as her dad’s old truck pulled away from Chilten Elementary School. The cloud of black exhaust evaporated into the air like a magic trick. “Hey, this is my spot. What are you doing here?” Augusta turned her head. A red-headed, freckled-faced boy…