Meg slid the scissor edge along the packing tape and popped the seals free. As she unfolded the boxtop flaps, dust rose to dance where smoke once flowed through the air. "See it!" Angela wriggled her fingers toward the crinkle of packing tissue as Mrs. Standover drew out the long-latent gift.…
Amber shuffled through her birthday cards, scanning the well wishes until the words blurred together. A hot tear spilled down her frigid cheek. She stacked them on the end of the kitchen counter. Reading the rest would have to wait. She shuffled back to the entrance and re-tacked the draft-blocking coverlet…
A chill radiated from the kitchen window and prickled the hairs on Amber's arms. Her numb fingers fumbled. She managed to press a tack through the jersey sheet. As she stretched to affix her makeshift drape in the top corner, her pregnant belly bumped to a halt against the icy tile…
Snowflakes dove from high clouds, mimicking their northern sisters who had successfully decorated the landscape for Christmas. Tropical breezes dissolved the flurry into tiny droplets. The parched earth embraced the saturated air. Glimmering mist kissed tree trunks, leaves, and noses of all who turned out to receive it. Heaven's dew returned to…
A Florida sunset blazes across the horizon--our effortless version of the summer campfire. Temperatures hover near ninety degrees, and customer traffic doubled at the neighborhood pool store. Yesterday's evening breeze swept away the last remnants of spring. While Midwest residents continue salting icy walkways, we're dipping our toes into the next season.…
Balmy breezes tickle the green lawns across my Florida neighborhood. Doughy cumulus clouds yawn and stretch until their shapes break. Puffs drift west across the iris-blue sky to visit their reflections in the bay. We could drive to meet them at the shoreline and fashion sugary sand into boulders. Sandmen wear…
Wondrous eyes peer into the glass orb, longing to exist within it. Iridescent dust floats through a world only habitable by childlike imaginations. They've always captivated mine. Snow globes blend relevant truth with magical shimmers. The scenes tug at my spirit, and a yearning for snowflakes bursts forth. I pulled up a…