A Heartfelt Commemoration Kelly and I walked into the grand ballroom in our formal attire. We had gone shopping with Chelsea the week prior, as she insisted we dressed well for the auspicious occasion. One hundred years of birthdays. It was hard to imagine. Twinkle lights and Christmas trees lined the room, and elegantly dressed people moved in a flow that matched the holiday music, greeting and kissing one another in rhythm. I almost felt out of place. Kelly nudged my elbow.

The Formal Invitation Icy November winds pierced the few layers I️ was wearing, and I️ realized that living in Atlanta for a few years had ruined my tolerance for Chicago winters. Complaining underneath my breath, I reached for the envelops in the mailbox, quickly thumbing through them to sort out the junk mail and rush back inside. “Man, it’s cold out there. Do you think we’ll get snow before Thanksgiving?” I asked, rushing to close the door behind me. “Oh, you just never kn

The War My previous visit with the man I had been calling Grandpa came to an abrupt end. He explained that episodes of fatigue were plaguing him without a moment’s notice and excused himself from the table, trying to escort me to door. I had refused to leave him, walking him to his bedroom, staying to clean up the dishes, then tip-toeing my way out in order to allow him a good rest. I called the following day to check on him, and told him that I’d like to bring my roommate wi

An Unlikely Pair It had been weeks since my arrival in Chicago. I twiddled the business card that Mr. Haberdash had given me as I sat at a small coffee shop near my house. Staring at the computer screen in front of me, I realized that I hadn’t written a word since coming into town. It wasn’t as if I felt uninspired. There were plenty of things going on in the world, and I could have been researching and finding freelance work that would allow me to save money while living exp

The Serendipitous Encounter Loud engines whirred as the chilly air blew from overhead vents. I grabbed my travel sweater and socks to bundle up as usual in the frigid airplane starkly contrasted from the hot, muggy September day in Atlanta. I sat in the middle seat, hoping that one or more of the spots would stay empty, dutifully holding my boarding pass to prove I was sitting where I was assigned, but ready to move to the window if I was so lucky. I wasn't. A girl smacking h