Wiping my hands on a cup towel, I turned from the Alfredo sauce to face Clayton. Looking at his solemnity, I knew I needed to adjust dinnertime. “This money needs to last me all summer,” he said, handing me a fat bank envelope. “I’ve been saving for about a year, and I’d like you to keep it for me.” As …
I drove out this weekend to my sister’s house in the country. Along the way, I drove past house after house that had been abandoned. The absence of life was especially evidenced in the deadness of the trees. Gnarled and dry, they no longer provided shade for the lawns, which were dry and dusty themselves. As I neared …
