Susanna deftly moved the dog leash from her right hand to her left so she could hook her elbow inside Lucy’s and walk two abreast with her down the city sidewalk; at the other end of the leash was Zippy, a plucky little Jack Russell named in homage to Dave Barry’s dog, as immortalized in … Continue reading Morning Miniature 8.21.19

Cessily noticed the shiny grommets around the window first, and then grew interested in her own reflection, even more than she was in the passing scenery. She could see her head bobbing in tandem with every bump in the road, listened intently to the bus axles grinding beneath her. The air smelled of starched and … Continue reading Morning Miniature 7.25.19

She stood there peering out over the river through Bran’s plate glass windows at all the nests, arms folded defensively across her chest, wondering what kind of perils an average osprey must navigate on an average day. They seemed reasonably clever, building them the way they did on top of the channel markers, right in … Continue reading Morning Miniature 7.17.19

She felt the hot tears welling up in her eyes and hated herself for them, for this juvenile, knee-jerk reaction to garden-variety bad luck. And for feeling so out of control. Where was the sense of adventure that had come all this way with her only a few short weeks ago, when feeling in control … Continue reading Morning Miniature 6.14.19

However many recreational boaters on the Tennessee River insist on Jimmy Buffet as their Saturday afternoon soundtrack, crooning about his blown-out flip-flop, or frozen concoctions, or tourists covered in oil, none can change the valley through which its main channel flows—nor any of its lakes, nor its kudzu-covered shorelines—into the tropics that are the centerpiece … Continue reading Morning Miniature 6.7.19

“I wish you were a mouser.” Charley wagged her tail enthusiastically, gazing intently at the large chunk of watermelon Lucy was about to pop inside her mouth. A trail of pinkish juice that started at her wrist now followed the contour of her arm all the way to her elbow, where it dripped onto the … Continue reading Morning Miniature 5.29.19

“He HERE! He HERE!” Andy was beside himself, but Cessily, in her haste to get outside, simply mowed her brother down; unfazed, Andy popped up and ran after her. He had no hope of catching up, but with each passing year the gaps that separated them—all save intellect—narrowed. The screen door slammed behind the children … Continue reading Morning Miniature 5.23.19

The rain at first came in fits and starts, a few small droplets plunking against the plate glass window. As she was in no particular hurry to leave, Lucy sat in the booth and watched them; she liked how they stretched out long as soon as they hit the glass, but then ran out of … Continue reading Morning Miniature 5.17.19