The 3 O’Clock Curse

The 3 PM Curse By 2:57 p.m., 11-year-old Cody started squinting. By 3:12, he was curled up. The nurse’s office again.   Fists clenched. Eyes shut. Pain pounding behind them. Doctors said maybe stress. Or sinuses. Or screens. MRI said nothing. His folks tried everything. Three months. Hope was thin. Until one day his mom whispered, […]

The Noise Complaint

The Noise Complaint Ben banged on the neighbor’s door.  Third time that week. “Turn it down, damnit!” Some of us work early!” The door creaked open. A sixteenish girl. Puffy Eyes. Red Nose. Music off now.  “Sorry,” she said. “It’s just that… Well, when the music’s loud enough, I can’t hear Mom and Dad screaming.” […]

Voicemail At 3 AM

Voicemail At 3 AM 3AM. Smoke alarm screeching.  Jess fumbled the skillet off the burner. Waved smoke with a dish towel.  Phone buzzed – Mom’s weekly voicemail meditation podcast… “For your stress.” She laughed. Stress? Try three jobs. A cheating ex. A never sleeping body. An uncontrollable mind.    But the real fire wasn’t the kitchen. […]