The man, dressed in a well-worn tweed jacket, placed the empty clamshell burger container on the counter. “I’d like a refund.” The manager, Brenda, was less patient today. “Really? Again?…

In this day and age, with so much strife and division in the world, it’s not too much of a stretch to wonder if we’re all heading toward extinction. When…

“Obligation.” The term had weight. Meaning. It had always represented an honored principle. But in recent years, its sway, at least regarding social circumstances, had grown tenuous. As Phil debated…

“Ma’am, do you know why I pulled you over?” “Speeding.” Shirley paused and then emphasized, “Again.” The policeman said nothing. “Officer, I’m sure you get a lot of lame excuses…

Despite the rain, I was having a perfectly fine day. And then I got out of bed. (More on that in a moment). The secret to my success — when…

If there was ever a time to fail, it was now. I had been devising most of the year, but the moment was never right: it had to be perfect….

The fight was a distant blur now. A belligerence of teenage angst versus Eleanor’s own anxieties as a single mom. Harsh words were flung like grenades. Sarah slammed the door…

“That was a long time ago. I don’t shoot people anymore.” The man with the dark-grey flat cap placed his beer glass down on their small corner table. “Are you…