First, the early morning walk. Then the construction workers next door had me on guard all day. Later that fly buzzed around, then they kept throwing my ball down the…
His tiny hands clung to the white iron gate. His eyes followed the bright red ball as it bounced from foot to foot, laughter echoing in the crisp spring air.…
She hadn’t expected the snow. It was October and still too early. But that morning she woke up to powdery white flakes floating through the air. She ran outside. The…
They’d waited all year for this beach vacation. Hawaii. She’d dreamed of sunny skies above and soft sand under her feet. And those fruity drinks with umbrellas. He was upset…
15 wall balls. 10 step-ups with 20-pound dumbbells. 15 kettle bell swings. Every minute on the minute for 24 minutes. Short of breath, jelly arms, a raging river of sweat.…
Some days bring gray skies. Others unleash angry words that pierce the air. Still, life has always felt like a thousand yellow daisies—magical in its bits of brightness. But today…
It’s more of a clang than a swish, but every shot takes me one step closer. Most days I’m Michael Jordan…old school. Other days I’m Kobe or LeBron. But always…
150 guests. He’d sprung it on her two nights ago. She was so tired of mingling and small talk with these people she didn’t even like. She dreamed of a…
For months she trained, ate pounds of broccoli, woke up when the skies were still dark. And that day she suffered through 26.2 miles and accomplished her goal. But she…
She thought they’d forgotten. Her older brother had a baseball game that afternoon, and her older sister had a piano recital at night. Her teacher hadn’t even remembered. But there…
I don’t know why they dressed me like this. The little girl thought the sunglasses were so funny. The hat scratches my ears. And that shirt. *Sigh.* Parrots…really? I don’t…
He told me to wait. He’d be there, he assured me. People—like tiny ants—dotted the horizon, but otherwise I was alone. So many tracks in this cold, wet sand. Tire…
She groaned her way through piano lessons, her tiny hands painfully stretching to reach the keys. Now her fingers play with ease and nostalgia. Her grandmother played. Her mother played.…
Why is she making me do this? It’s heavy and it makes me hot. Everything was fine before. Now I’ll have to share my stuff. It’s going to ruin everything.…
He’s not good with plants. His ex-girlfriend’s tiny ivy plant died in a month. The lavender plant his mom dropped off didn’t make it two days. But this one that…
Three summers ago she bought them. She’d envisioned nights out as colorful as the flowers on these shoes. And there’d be dates, the shoes a perfect complement to a summer…
She had just poured her second cup of black coffee—always the most important one. She placed it on her desk, then the phone rang. He was finally coming home. The…
Long before he lost his business, endured open-heart surgery, and watched his father, mother, and sister all pass away—long before any of this, he was just a happy little boy…
