The Unraveling The humidity in the St. Jude’s parish hall was thick enough to chew on. It was the annual “Spring Harvest” fundraiser—a…
The Cold Shoulder and the Hot Soup The silence in the kitchen wasn’t peaceful; it was heavy, the kind of silence that precedes…
The Mistress Locked Me Out in the Storm — Not Knowing the Driver Was My Son The humidity in Virginia usually breaks with…
The Cold Reality The water was ice-cold. It wasn’t just a splash; it was a full, deliberate pour from a crystal tumbler, dripping…
The Weight of the Frosting The air in the botanical garden was thick with the scent of overpriced peonies and the kind of…
The Ink-Stained Alibi The silence in the dining room was louder than the scream I wanted to let out. I looked down at…
The Recipe for Disaster The humidity in Virginia in August is thick enough to spread with a butter knife, but inside the air-conditioned…
The Cabernet Sauvignon was a 2018 vintage, full-bodied with notes of oak and blackberry. I know this because as it cascaded down the…
THE MISTRESS RIPPED MY DRESS AT THE FUNERAL — SHE DIDN’T REALIZE THE LAWYER WAS RECORDING The humid air under the cemetery tent…
The Anniversary Gift The hydrangeas were the exact shade of “French Blue” I’d spent six months obsessing over. They sat in heavy crystal…