Home was an apartment on the first floor of his parents house. Our own separate entrance–keys and everything. A house from the Victorian era, its ghost stories left me unsettled. Always I felt the eyes of someone watching. Once I even heard the cries of a babe no one could explain. I was sixteen and… Continue reading haunted
Tag: Faves
Rebel love
I wake up flat on my back. My eyes unsuccessfully search the ceiling for something familiar. Despite the hour, thunder rolls and there is the faint tap of rain against the hotel room window. I reach across the sheet and find his hand. “It’s raining,” I tell him. “That means good luck.” With total disregard… Continue reading Rebel love
5 THINGS I WANT MY FRESHMAN DAUGHTER TO REMEMBER
I remember the outfit I chose for my first day of high school. It’s downright laughable now, but back in the day that floral print shirt paired with acid-washed daisy dukes and hiking boots was haute. Seriously. Tomorrow morning, I will officially become the mother of two high school girls: one senior and one freshman. … Continue reading 5 THINGS I WANT MY FRESHMAN DAUGHTER TO REMEMBER
the teensiest pieces
Our caps were black. And our gowns, too. The only color to break up all that dark hung in the threaded teal lines of our tassels. And the chintzy gold ’94 emblems that hung like a proclamation alongside. It stung like a sham. That wasn’t my year. Those weren’t my people. Not even my school. … Continue reading the teensiest pieces
when hearts go walking
My oldest daughter, Torri, (then 17) got her license in October. Up to that point, I had been the one sitting next to her in the passenger seat as she “practiced” her driving. But then that flimsy little piece of plastic came along and deemed her capable of going it alone. And that she did. … Continue reading when hearts go walking
come on get higher
There is an awakening–of sorts–when first you meet your other. A tingling wave of emotion as loneliness melts away against the warmth of his smile. Just the hint of light breaks at first–a beacon of promise. And then something–you can’t exactly be sure what–sets it off. An undeniable spark that pops like the fourth of… Continue reading come on get higher
She Doesn’t Know
I was driving. My four-year-old, Jayce, was buckled into his booster behind me. “Mommy,” he said. “Why doesn’t Cassie know how to tie? I tie stuff all the time.” He does. Lengths of “rope” (scarves) are among his most valuable treasures. Should you ever find yourself in my house you’d better beware; you could happen… Continue reading She Doesn’t Know
Where I’m From
I am from glowing candles on a Van de Kamps cake, from Ford and rollie pollies. I am from the mint green duplex on the corner… 415…the cracked stucco, the stoop with no rail. I am from the lilac bush hollowed out like a fort, the purple petals raining down like wishes falling from the… Continue reading Where I’m From
Every Rose
I couldn’t get her out the door fast enough this morning. It was one of those no I don’t wanna you’re stupid I don’t love you mornings. One of those mornings when an ugly seed plants itself in her belly. And so abruptly it blooms – sprouting angry, hateful words. They grow from the pit… Continue reading Every Rose
The Wife. And Happy To Be.
My friend Heather tells me not to do it. But I do it anyway. Watch Oprah, that is. I can’t help it; she has some really great shows. Even though sometimes she sticks her foot in her mouth, smack dab in the middle of a really great show. Such was the case last week. The… Continue reading The Wife. And Happy To Be.
Both Hands
When she first came along–on a Thanksgiving morning ten years ago–I loved her with the whole of my heart. With my eyes. With my mind. With both hands. With one hand I held her close, and with the other, my fingers lightly brushed her forehead, her almond eyes, her bitty nose. When the doctor came… Continue reading Both Hands
Those Parents
“We’re not those parents…” So said a friend as she stood outside her house one mid-summer Thursday afternoon. I wasn’t there to hear her say it though. I was in the ambulance that had just whirred away from her neighborhood, speeding out of the desert with lights flashing and sirens blaring. My son–my precious baby… Continue reading Those Parents