No one tells you how hard it is to leave your little sister for college. You pack boxes full of clothing and dreams. Family photos and decor for your room. You’ll finally be able to find who you are, and where you belong, the excitement overcoming the realization of what you’re putting her through.

She’s still in pajamas, eating a half-eaten bowl of cereal, asking you if you can visit next weeken...

It was just a friendly get-together. Nothing more. I kept saying the same words in my head over and over as I looked at her. _Eleanor_. Her long auburn curls draped over her shoulders perfectly. Her smile contagious, like some kind of disease where you just can’t look at her without smiling.

She looked beautiful today. Her yellow dress flowed down to her feet, with white flowers adorning the fabr...

Even the dead tell stories.

Not with mouths,

But with the weight they leave behind.

And the places they should have never touched.

He touched me once—

In a room too quiet,

With hands that shook like leaves,

But landed like stones.

He touched me.

Not with love. Not with care.

With fingers like splinters.

Sharp and soaked in silence.

They buried him in spring.

The flowers had come too soon.

I did...

She’s not who she says she is. The woman sitting next to me—her head resting on my shoulder, nuzzling up to my jaw. She’s not my wife. Her usual scent of vanilla and roses does not fill my nose. I can’t tell if she’s trying something new—something her sister gave her. It smells spicy—mixed with something else. Something metallic. I’m worried she can feel my tense body.

Before I speak, I swallow. ...