and wake up to nothing but the water view in his windshield.

dark brown freckles on the bridge of Avery’s nose.

Humans. For the most part, you are dull and blundering. But occasionally, you can be remarkably bright creatures.

A night breeze nudges the sunflowers in her moonlit garden, causing their heads to bob, like a personal audience who agrees with her every wishful thought.

Something warm, like contentment, floods through Cameron as he slips into bed.

They watch a school of cod drift by, propelled by the tank’s fake current. If they wait four minutes, Cameron knows, they’ll come by again. What a life, those endless laps.

The tower of tea towels threatens to topple as Tova adds another to the top.

But I do not like the hole in her heart. She only has one, not three, like me. Tova’s heart. I will do everything I can to help her fill it.

Like a noxious ivy, this notion winds its way around every aspect of Tova’s daily routine.