Karl The front door creaks loudly as I push it open, the sound echoing off the walls of the foyer to my all-too-quiet house. I’ve just come home from the city, with Abby’s words still fresh on my mind. Mistake. Shouldn’t have happened. Never happening again. It feels like tiny knives being stuck
Abby The moment Mr. Thompson utters the words, the whole world seems to stop. I’m still sitting at my desk in my cluttered little office, but I feel as though I’ve been launched into outer space; it’s like that feeling in a dream when you suddenly fall from an impossible height, only to wake up ju
I’ll have to be at my best on Saturday, to cook like I’ve never cooked before. I’ll need to plan a menu that showcases not just my skills but my spirit. And I’ll have to pour every ounce of passion I have onto those plates. Saturday. The judges. My kitchen. I can do this. I hope. … As I step
Abby Sunlight spills through the restaurant windows, casting a warm golden glow over the bar where everyone is leaning. It’s right before opening, and I’ve called everyone: Chloe, Daisy, Ethan, John, and Anton to the front. Leah is here too before work, a cardboard cup of coffee in her hand, which
I find myself laughing, really laughing, for the first time in two weeks. “Okay, taste this,” I instruct, scooping a spoonful of sauce for them. They oblige, and the looks on their faces tell me all I need to know. “That’s the stuff,” Leah grins. Chloe nods. “You’ve still got it, Abby.” …
Karl “Talk to him. It’s good for him to hear some language—keeps the brain active.” The doctor’s words still linger in the back of my mind as I stand in my brother’s bedroom, looking down at him. He’s laying in his bed, still unconscious. I hate seeing him like this. The tubes, the IV, the sou
Abby The phone rings for a beat too long. My heart is practically in my throat as I wait, each drone of the ringtone sounding like a warning siren in my ears. What will I even say to him? “Hey, sorry I kissed you and then told you it was a mistake for the millionth time. Anyway, will you come ba
Abby I’m still standing, frozen, just inside the threshold of the kitchen. The air is silent as John and Anton suddenly halt their cooking, their eyes meeting each other for a moment before they slide over to me. “Abby?” John’s voice is somewhat incredulous, seeing as how I haven’t set foot in h