I was walking down 85th and Lex when I saw him. It had been four months since the last correspondence. This was after our direct contact dissipated because of his drinking, which led to the yelling, which led to me wearing longer sleeves and waking up earlier to add more layers of makeup. The marks human eyes couldn’t see took longer to fade.
Fiction
Overhand
In the express checkout lane, the cashier asked her if she’d found everything she was looking for. She didn’t know how to answer, so she left the store without buying anything.
Touching My Face
My mom wants me to stop touching my face because my hands are dirty, and I’ll break out, but I love touching my face.
Heaven Help Us, Heaven Forgive Us
Like any young family, some conversations had to be foregone. Some battles, forfeited.
Contents of Dead People’s Pockets
The section for cash held a Trojan condom, but when his wife came to claim the contents of her dead husband’s pants, she said he’d had a vasectomy.
How to Talk Nice
Before you go to school for the first time, you learn how to talk nice.
Date Night with Vomitina
Dave was a pathological flake, and after three years of dating, I still wasn’t used to his absolute surprise, confusion, and disappointment.
Two Kiss, Three Kiss
There are two kinds of people in the Persian community: Those that kiss you on the cheek twice, and those that you kiss you on the cheek three times.