Izzy Wingham

Stockholm Shadow

Written by Robert Paul Blumenstein

My captor from time to time reaches down and strokes my forehead, my cheek, with what seems to be a loving touch, filled with compassion, as though he cares; he all too quickly withdraws that same hand and calls an assistant over to tend to a perfunctory duty: my bathing, my feeding, my excrement needs. …

---

It’s Just a Car

Written by Rachelle Ransom

I pulled the curtain over just enough to look through the window with one eye. A young man paced around my old car that had a FOR SALE sign plastered to the window. I slipped on my tennis shoes, opened my front door, and walked the short distance down my driveway. “Hello,” I said. “Are you …

---

Blue Dress

Written by Dani Fitzgerald

The heat of the sun rubbed against Mia’s face. Her head rested on the front lawn; her feet slightly flexed. She tapped the outside of her big toes together and gazed up at the cloud-filled sky. Birds sang in the neighbor’s maple tree, but not just any song; they sang a familiar song. Mia peeked over at …

---

Simple Holidays

Written by Micah Lally

Kale peeked past the cracked door and grinned at the rise and fall of his mother’s breathing. His little feet bounced while he waited, his hand gripped tight on the door handle. He glanced at the hall clock once again, waiting for the second hand to complete its circle. Three. Two. One. “Mom! It’s eight o’clock. Christmas …

---

Captain Daddy

Written by Jen Beaney

James was a Captain in the United States Army, but no war zone could have prepared him for taking care of his three year old son Shawn on his own. James had taken leave from the Army so his wife Jessica could go out of state to care of her sick mother. He was excited …

---