“She does nothing.”

According to him, she had done so for years. How easily he dismissed fifty-plus years of marriage, of service. University, children, tenure, moving, a roast chicken every Sunday.

She considered his crooked spine, heard his ragged breath begin to struggle. With an imperceptible smile, she did Nothing.

Megan Beltran is a musician and word-enthusiast living in the San Francisco Bay Area. She loves the redwoods, teaching, and language.