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…
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…
Janie’s fingers had just thawed out when the fighting began. The kids abandoned their beanbags, going toe-to-toe, screaming at each other about a marshmallow. The credits of the movie that had given her ninety-two minutes of peace scrolled, the quiet music at odds with the argument. So much for the park wearing them out. After two hours in frigid weather, she’d lured them home with promises of cocoa and a movie. They’d pelted down the slick sidewalk, the wind tugging…
Every time Marv checks his reflection in the mirror, it terrifies him. Instead of neatly combed hair and a clean-shaven face, a distorted version of himself peers back. A reflection of his darkest self. Mouth carved into a scowl, jaw hard. Eyes filled with fury. Hair wild, fists clenched at his side. The image wavers as if the room is titling. He blinks. The placid man he believes himself to be returns: smile in place, hands loose. Calm. This is…