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…