The first time I saw him, his face was shadowed by the brim of a baseball cap. His shoulders were hunched. His shorts and T-shirt were loose. He lifted my suitcase and garment bag out of his parents’ van, and I thought, “Jock.” That evening we sat across the table from each other at a […]

            She comes to me in the middle of the night, crying. I pull her small body into my bed next to me. “What’s wrong?” I ask, pushing hair from her eyes.             “I’m scared of the dark,” she whimpers, her body settling into mine.             “Me too. Remember when I screamed when I was […]

Growing up, my Grandma and Grandad would come and see us every Friday night. My Grandad and I would go for walks on the country lanes north of Sheffield on the edge of the Peak District. During one winter—I must have been around eleven years old—he showed me the night sky and taught me to […]

It’s still dark at 6 a.m. here in the foothills of the Appalachians. My husband has left me a cup of tea on the counter ready to be sweetened. I open the wrong cabinet because this isn’t my kitchen and I don’t remember where we are keeping the honey. Also, where are the spoons? Finally, […]