Aw, Gran. Annie had been fighting tears from the moment she’d boarded the train from New York. Please don’t leave me. I won’t, she said with a gentle smile. Keep me in your heart, and you’ll always kn...
As a child, she’d been a great reader, finding the ultimate escape within the pages of a story. She learned that opening a book was like opening a set of double doors—the next step would take her insi...
Annie’s other prized book lay nearby—a copy of Lord of the Flies, a vintage clothbound volume in a sturdy slipcase, one of three copies she possessed. She hoped the reporter wouldn’t ask about that.
Although it seemed impossible to find joy in the depths of her grief, Annie sensed that this was what Gran had been trying to tell her all along. She finally understood. This hurt she felt was the pri...
A sudden bold and unexpected question doth many times surprise a man and lay him open. —Sir Francis Bacon, 1561-1626
A lot of things would be lost or undone if people sat around, waiting for a miracle.
A capital ship for an ocean trip Was the Walloping Window Blind—No gale that blew dismayed her crew Or troubled the captain’s mind. The man at the wheel was taught to feel Contempt for the wildest blo...
You mustn’t touch me. Very slowly, he lowered his hand. You need to be touched, Caitlin MacBride. You need it very badly. She girded herself with denial. Even if it were so, I would not need it from a...
Why did joy bring the same tears as sadness? Why did the throat and chest ache with fire, regardless? Was it because, deep down, everyone knew it was fragile and ephemeral? Did the tears come from the...
They’d take Nina’s hair tonight, leaving only enough to cover her scalp—the k.d. lang look, Jezebel explained. Paige would weave the hair, strand by strand, into a wig modeled after Nina’s natural loo...
The dispatcher said they’re ten minutes out. That was almost ten minutes ago, so— Okay, I need to concentrate here. Faith knew it was better to perform a few unnecessary chest compressions for someone...
Step softly—a dream lies buried here.
Sometimes the true value of the piece is how much a person loves it.
Penne Pasta With Fresh Arugula, Tomato and Mozzarella Success depends on fresh tomatoes and arugula and basil. And don’t even think about using anything but the freshest mozzarella. You don’t need muc...
On his very worst day, each one of these men managed to summon his very best. Each one embodied the essence of courage. It is not the state of being unafraid, but the rare ability to confront fear.
On Sunday, something washed up on shore.
No, my darling. I’ll love the woman you keep hidden inside you. You’ve led men to battle, but never into your heart. Men respect you, they obey you, but they see you as a warrior. You’ve never had the...
Never let anyone tell you that food isn’t a kind of love. Yet
Memories are like a series of locked doors, and once you manage to get one open, it leads to another, and then another and so on. The hard part is finding the key to that first lock and getting throug...
Make me a part of this place. Make me a part of Caitlin. Please, God, I love her so.