Gary rocked back on his heels, groaning. After searching for the car keys for a half hour, he was ready to give up. Might have, too, but he had tickets for the footy game. He glanced around the open living space, eyes scanning clean surfaces, hoping to catch a glint of silver. No luck. “Charlie,” he said, hauling himself up off the floor. Cheeks flushed from exertion, his seven-year-old son rushed inside, blond hair sticking up at odd angles, a…
You stupid girl! Of all the words ever spoken to Sophia, these were the ones that grew the deepest roots, surfacing from the dark recesses of her memory when she made mistakes. They slid from her lips while she scanned a poor report card, failed a test, or fumbled a simple calculation. It came as no surprise to her when her college application was denied, the car wouldn’t start, or the power went out. After all, she was a stupid…
Kennedy rolled her eyes and fished her phone out of the pocket of her ever-fading blue jeans. Her mother’s attempts at wrangling the family for a picnic were, as normal, disastrous. It would take at least another thirty minutes for Mom to convince Jed to bring only one book — what a nerd. Then there was the lack of clothes Teddy was wearing, and Leo was still looking for his swim trunks. She blocked it all out and scrolled through…
Joy’s fridge was overflowing with casseroles stacked five deep as if she’d raided the grocery store for noodles and sauce. She didn’t have to open them to know they contained the likes of lasagna or macaroni and cheese. Bagged green salads, dressings, and a few loaves of garlic bread filled the crisper drawers. A barrage of guests arrived every afternoon, carrying food and insisting she put it away. She’d dutifully obeyed their commands while silently rolling her eyes. The longer…