Chapter Four; Part One The cats greet us with enthusiasm when we arrive at Rembrandt’s house. Ginger walks in a circle around Rembrandt’s legs, whereas Onyx and Jet paw at my legs with their front paws while standing on their hind legs. Rembrandt scoops Ginger up with one hand while cradling the shopping bag to… Continue Reading
Parental Deception; chapter three, part three
Chapter Three; Part Three We sit down at the table, which is loaded with food. A twenty-five pound turkey sits proudly in the middle, and it looks as if it’s done to perfection. There are huge bowls of mashed potatoes with garlic, yams, cranberry salad, stuffing (bread), steamed vegetables, and a fruit salad surrounding it.… Continue Reading
Parental Deception; chapter three, part two
Chapter Three; Part Two “To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there’s the rub.” – Hamlet. My version of the above quote is, “To sleep, perchance not to dream, damn it.” I’ve never been a big fan of sleep ever since I was a little girl. When I was four or five, my mother would try to… Continue Reading
Parental Deception; chapter three, part one
Chapter Three; Part One “We’re going to Ginger’s!” I say to Onyx and Jet, keeping my voice cheery. They eye me in suspicion as I produce the carrier. Of course, they flee at the sight of it, so I have to do the song and dance of placing treats in it and then pretending not… Continue Reading
Parental Deception; chapter two, part two
Chapter Two; Part Two When I get home, I feed the cats some treats and make a ham sandwich for myself. The emails from that man are weighing heavily on my mind. I suppose I should respond because I’m starting to feel rude in ignoring him. I send him a brief email saying I can’t… Continue Reading
Parental Deception; chapter two, part one
Chapter Two; Part One “Man, I’m tired of this job,” Darla Quinn, one of my coworkers, grumbles, her fingers flying over her keyboard. “Tell me about it,” I say, checking my lists to see what I need to tackle first. It’s too early in the morning for talking, but Darla is my favorite coworker, so… Continue Reading
Parental Deception; chapter one, part two
Chapter One; Part Two “Hello, Megan. Didn’t we just talk?” Jasmine’s voice is mellow, unlike it was while Bob was missing. “Yes, but something weird just happened.” I breathe smoothly and softly before adding, “A man claiming he’s our father was just here, and he’s on his way to your house.” “What?!!” The ease leaves… Continue Reading
Parental Deception; chapter one, part one
Chapter One; Part One “I know Thanksgiving is this Thursday, Jasmine,” I say, pacing my living room floor. “I can read a calendar as well as you can.” Onyx and Jet, my two black cats, sister and brother, pace alongside me. Onyx is mewing at me, and Jet is watching her back, as always. Onyx… Continue Reading
Marital Duplicity; chapter fourteen
Chapter Fourteen “I hate Monday mornings,” Darla grumbles, a yawn swallowing most of her words. “Me, too,” I say in fervent agreement. I’m on my second cup of coffee already, and it’s not going to be nearly enough to get me through the day. I barely made it to work on time, so I dive… Continue Reading
Marital Duplicity; chapter thirteen, part three
I go into the living room, Onyx and Jet hot on my tail. I pull up my website, and I’ve gotten a lively set of responses to my post about secrets and lies in relationships. MNborn writes, “My marriage was a hot mess of secrets, mostly on my husband’s part. He was fucking anything in… Continue Reading