Alone in an empty bar sick with sunlight, he reached a crossroads when it came to his pint: should he force down the last mouthfuls of his now summer-warmed pilsner or, abiding his peevish instinct for wasteful renewal, go ahead and order another? Since the separation, answers didn’t come easily.

Mike is new to the world of flash fiction. His wife enjoys his writing, but the cat remains discouragingly harsh.