Four Balloon Options Offered by Family Members for New Year Planning

slip away.”

The silence in the basement felt heavy, pressing against my chest as Evelyn patted my arm with a sticky sweetness. I stood up, walked to the coat rack, and took my wool coat off the hanger.

Nobody followed me to the exit.

At three o’clock, the Oak Creek Diner was nearly empty, save for the cook scraping the grill and Arlene sitting in our continue reading …