After finding out Greg and I couldn’t have kids, the silence in our marriage just felt louder. One day, I suggested getting a dog. “Something to love,” I said. Greg wasn’t thrilled but agreed, as long as it wasn’t “some yappy little thing.” At the shelter, I saw her—Maggie. A frail, gray-faced senior dog curled up in the back. Her tag said 12 years old. Hospice adoption only. She looked so tired, so defeated. But when I knelt down, her tail wagged, just barely. I knew she was the one. Greg thought I’d lost my mind. “That dog’s halfway to…
Author: World Wide
I initially remained motionless when I heard the knock. In the kitchen, I was cleaning the same cup that I had cleaned three times before. My hands needed something to do, anything to divert my mind from the thoughts that accumulated every evening when the home became too quiet, not because it was dirty. There was another knock. This time, firmer. I heard footsteps outside my cell and turned toward the door, my heart thumping as it used to. However, this was not like the others. It was not intended for me to have any guests. No more. Not since…
I genuinely believed I was amusing myself. I had just been dumped by someone I genuinely adored, my rent had gone up, and my boss was breathing down my neck. It had been a difficult week at work. By Friday, I was running on coffee, sarcasm, and the kind of resentment that makes you laugh at other people’s hardships rather than feeling their pain. I didn’t give it a second thought when I saw her at the grocery store because of this. She was totally unconscious, slumped over the handle of a shopping cart. Her clothing was soiled with what…
I’ve spent the last eleven years doing upkeep at this cemetery. I’ve witnessed it all: people talking to stones, mourning families, and even people dancing between headstones when they believe no one is looking. I can’t get over him, though. The purple-vest-wearing yellow Lab. He arrives every November 28 at approximately noon. By themselves. Be calm. passes by rows of graves as if he had learned the layout by heart, then proceeds directly through the south gate and pauses at Simon’s. It’s an antique, navy-style headstone honoring, of all things, a valiant ship’s cat. It reads, “Awarded the Dickin Medal.”…
All that was intended was a lovely visit. They will be stopping by Brookdale Senior Living with a few animals, including baby chicks, a bunny, and a really adorable goat named Pickle, according to my sister’s friend, who owns a mobile petting zoo. Mostly because I needed a change from my usual routine, I went along with no expectations. Before we had even opened the pen, folks began to stream in with broad smiles as we set up in the recreation room. However, when one woman in a burgundy sweater and glasses noticed the goat, her face brightened. She stretched…
I have over five years of experience as a security guard at this supermarket. I’ve witnessed a variety of shoplifters, including children playing, adults organizing shelves, and desperate individuals cramming meat inside their coats. I didn’t think twice when I saw a man in a frayed sweatshirt stuffing things into his rucksack. I took his arm, led him to the door, and insisted that he accompany me. He didn’t dispute. didn’t attempt to run at all. simply sighed in exhaustion and followed me to the rear office. The store manager was checking his suitcase when I began to fill out…
The week had been difficult. My car was hardly running, I had a mountain of bills, and I wasn’t making enough money. While waiting in line, I mentally estimated what I would need to replace. I was short, and I felt sick to my stomach as the amount appeared. With a sigh, I began to set away necessities like milk, diapers, and even my child’s cereal. At that moment, the cheerfully smiling cashier reached into her pocket and discreetly gave me some money. “You’re fine,” she muttered. “I’ve been there.” Startled, I blinked at her. “Thank you,” I said. I…
On June 16, 2015, I was awake before the alarm went off. With my heart racing as if I were going to take a final test or walk down the aisle, I just laid there and stared at the ceiling. It was both, in a sense. I could hear laughter coming down the corridor. They had already risen. The previous evening, I had arranged their attire: Dorian wore a small black suit, and the girls wore identical gowns. Even though he detested ties, he didn’t gripe today. Not once. “I want to look like family,” he stated with a simple…
Susan Thompson felt her fingers tremble treacherously as she gently dialed the number of her youngest son. After diligently serving her for fifteen years, the ancient washing machine had suddenly failed, making a loud shriek before going silent for good. She was thrown off balance by the necessity of taking care of home chores, and a new one was due in an hour. The ringtone reverberated across the deserted kitchen. Susan held her breath when she heard her daughter-in-law’s icy, January-wind tone in place of her son Ben’s well-known voice. “Hello?” That one word was enough to convey the…
