An American Hero Jason stepped into the courtyard of the municipal building holding Janet’s hand, his wife of ten years. A young girl approached, staring at his right foot. “What happened to your foot?” she asked politely. He lifted his good foot and wiggled it around. “No, the fake foot,” she pointed. “It’s not an illusion,” he spoke softly. “He doesn’t want to talk about it,” her father barked at her. The two men exchanged a quiet nod. His was apologetic, and Jason was grateful. In...

Breakfast before work A young couple sat across from each other in a corner booth of a local diner. Eva endlessly talked about her plans for the garden. As her words faded into a continuous stream of chatter, Caden gazed at her beauty. “Are you even listening to me?” breaks the rhythm of her cadence. “You want three boxwoods placed evenly across the front garden. Between them, there are to be rosemary plants because you love the fragrance. In front of the perennials, you want annuals of...

Where relationships die Kevin stared at the report to improve his newest client's business. The perfect wording to describe his findings eluded him in the moment. His eyes moved off the monitor and out the front window of his home office. Her red hair glimmered under the impending storm clouds. His heart instantly filled with hope and pain. Clarice anxiously studied the house, wondering if she should take the next step to knock or walk away. Her life was shattered last November after...