Gareth left the kids in the tub as he went to round up pajamas and towels. All he had to do now was convince the boys to get out of the bath. He never could relate to parents who said bath time was a challenge because their kids hated the water. If they’d said it was because they couldn’t convince their child to get out, he’d have nodded along, listed a half-dozen different excuses his kids always used despite the pruning of their…
Jem lifted his face to the sky as forked lightning illuminated the moonless night. Thunder rumbled, echoing off the mountains and rolling down into the valley, shaking the earth beneath him, but he didn’t open his eyes. He stood waiting for the rain, hoping it would wash him clean this time. The wind picked up, whipping through the tops of the trees and snaking around him, yanking at the tails of his flannel shirt. The first icy wet drop splattered…
This was a new low, even by Karen’s standards. Sure, she disagreed with the other book club ladies and told them so. Hadn’t they all taken a turn at that? It was impossible for everyone to agree all the time — especially when half the group couldn’t even remember the name of the book they’d selected. The problem was that Karen went too far. So much for the comfy yoga pants and oversized sweater, because as she sank onto the…
Anna stretched her gnarled fingers and rubbed at the knuckles to work out the ache. She’d spent most of the day on her knees, wrist-deep in the warm soil as she planted lettuce, radishes, and kale. Not that she’d ever grown to enjoy kale in any of the many recipes she’d tried. Still, it was supposed to be good for you. She stood and massaged her lower back before scooping up the seed packets from the ground. Why hadn’t she…