Victor looks out the kitchen window, staring across the back yard, beyond the pool, towards the trees that separate his house from the cottage out back. Winter is starting to take its grip on the landscape, stripping the trees of their brown leaves so that, day by day, a little bit more of the cotta

“Sure, I have a moment,” I say, tucking my feet sideways beneath me. In honesty, though, I don’t have too long. The boys are downstairs waiting for their dinner and I have absolutely nothing thawed or prepped. Still, I can tell by the tension in Victor’s voice that something’s up. He sighs, a big

“I mean, did we have to go across town for the burgers?” I say, running an exasperated hand through my hair as I stand on the side of the road, staring at the steaming engine of Victor’s Jeep. “We had to get the best, mom,” Alvin says sternly, ready to jump to his dad’s defense. The boys were thril

“Did you fall asleep too?” I whisper to Victor. “No,” he murmurs beside me, his voice low, luxurious. “But I might. I can’t remember the last time I was this…relaxed.” I shift myself, turning a little so that I can look at him. I can make out the curve of his long, straight nose, his firm lips, hi

Victor’s eyes shift to Willard, noticing that he makes no such denial of personal conversation with Walsh. Instead, Willard’s smile grows, taking pleasure in watching Victor struggle under this new revelation. Victor’s rage grows inside him and his claws begin to emerge from his fingertips, scrapin