I hit my son today–slashed my wedding band across his little blond head. His mother took him to her mother’s. I watched them drive off, windshield wipers dragging rain.

When I went to say goodbye, he flinched–like I’d done it twice.

The bruise isn’t even visible. Not yet.

Nathan Jones is a writer from Tennessee whose work explores themes of grief, faith, and the uncanny. He recently graduated with a degree in English from the University of Mississippi and plans to pursue an MFA in fiction. When not writing, he enjoys letting his puppy chew on his digital watch, running tabletop campaigns, and drinking coffee.