At some level of her consciousness Margery knows better, but every night at 11:00, she opens the front door a little, just enough for Rafe to nudge himself inside. On rough nights, she leaves the door open and sits on the front steps with a mug full of vodka, waiting.
Susan Sagarin is a retired editor who lives in Maryland, U.S.A.
First, it feels like the flu. Your easygoing stomach rebels. Your head is a balloon flying skyward. A ribbon of sweat pops up above your lip. Your quiet steady heartbeat hiccups, stalls, double-times to catch up. Then, he cocks his head and looks at you.
You exhale. Everything is fine.
Susan Sagarin is a retired editor and aspiring YouTuber. Visit her site at inspirationonafternoonlane.com
For decades, Stacy’s bedtime was three a.m., after Channel Four played the Star Spangled Banner and signed off for the night.
Now, Stacy and Channel Four are always on. At three a.m., she is spooning Dilaudid into her mom’s mouth.
Stacy hums the anthem. Her mom’s eyelids flutter, then close.
Susan Sagarin retired from Bloomberg Industry Group in 2020 after a 30-year career as an editor and content specialist. Her fiction, nonfiction, and recipes can be found at inspirationonafternoonlane.com.