Airplanes make people act funny. Maybe because we’re not naturally supposed to be suspended in the air like that. Maybe because without the right air cabin pressure, the carefully crafted complex machine designed to defy gravity, and the highly skilled operators of said machine, we wouldn’t last a second up there. Maybe we feel a…
The Letters
“Goodnight Abuela,” I called to my grandmother at the end of the night. My mom was taking her to bed. “Feliz Navidad!” My grandmother leaned over to give my grandfather a kiss and said, “Hurry up. Don’t take too long.” “Just finishing my drink,” my grandpa assured her. A few minutes ago she’d been asking…
The Truth
I remember vividly when I first discovered lying. I must have been about 3 or 4 years old. I was prone to stomach pains, even back then. While I don't remember the exact context surrounding the grand revelation, I remember the excitement when my brain finally connected the dots. I could just say I have…
The Fire Alarm
"We're going to die because of this cat," Ant declared, desperation punctuating every syllable. He was on his knees by the bed, head down, trying to convince Red to come out. In the hallway the fire alarm demanded our attention. Ant wasn't wrong. If it came down to it, all of our efforts would go…
The Before Times
“I don’t know, do you think I should just cancel the whole thing?” My friend Ella texted me one afternoon. I was on my couch with my laptop on my tummy, working my super cool new job that allowed me to work from home one day every two weeks. Wasn’t that a dream? Ella elaborated,…
The Pizza
“Ojala,” my grandmother always used to tell me when the topic of marriage came up, “one day when you get married, I’ll be able to watch you walk down the aisle.” “Abuela,” I’d roll my eyes, the concept of death so foreign to me at such a young age. “Of course you’ll be at my…
The Goodbye Party
I didn’t get to work with Morgan too closely. She transitioned into our department one spring and really only stayed for a full three month cycle of the program. In the end, it was for the best that her boyfriend got a job out east where they were originally from. She really hated our boss…
The 17th of June
“I’ve got an idea,” Amanda said as we sat in the evening traffic while commuting home. I looked over at her curiously from the driver’s seat and noticed her mischievous grin. “You should invite Anthony with you on that after-school activity that we’re supposed to run on Friday!” “Anthony?” I frowned. “You invited him to…
The Suburban Plaza
I placed my work tote in the backseat, next to my not one but two gel memory foam cooling charcoal activated pillows. I was sleeping over at my parents’ house to take care of my bedridden grandmother while my grandfather was getting hip replacement surgery. Without those pillows my neck would kink, and I wouldn’t…
The Building
Apartment 1108 - 5:00pm A woman sits at her glass table in the penthouse, the gorgeous city skyline hidden by her dark drapes. The lights are off. She’s lit up by the glow of her laptop as she tries to figure out how she’s going to pay the rent. The company she was a senior…
Stories I've Never Told... 