Sublime

They returned to Columbia two days earlier than they had planned; restless and strained by their isolation, it was as if they walked together in a prison.

filled with the kind of determined cheer that masked a deeper despair.

inures

Not long after bringing her demented mother home to live with her, Gillian walked into the living room to find her beloved books, including sacred Buddhist texts, scattered across the floor. Her mother announced, “I’m tired of all these dusty old books. I’m going to give them to my dentist.” Gillian was momentarily trapped by her anger. She scolded