We were young, still in our cocoons when we first met. Flora morphed into a beautiful butterfly, sooner than me. Her wings—the colors of fire, lit the sky. Her flutter stirred many, to reach and pocket her. But free minded, she held her own, unwilling to be caught.   With a grand vision to travel ...

I cannot wait to fly and touch the sky Above the clouds, beside the Sun and Moon Where Stars stand straight in line and wave their “Hi!” Where Plough and Crux appear to watch me swoon   Where Birds adapt to fly beneath the sea Where Green Sea Turtle races Octopus Where Sally Lightfoot Crab ...

Powdery white sand shimmers its quartz in sunlight stars twinkle on ground   Singing cardinal joins the drumming woodpecker branches take a bow   Fluttering pupa amidst the dense, tall sand dunes dotted flowers bloom   Sliding waves ashore bring seaweeds, grasses, and more crabs party with bugs   Diving pelican grabs grub by its ...

Content Warning: Contains themes of a sexual nature. This year is about making peace with who I am and who I want to be. My 30s have been about educating myself about things that would horrify my mother. I’m learning more about sex and decided I didn’t want any surprises on my wedding night. I ...

Why didn’t Grandpa Mac confirm whether the man in the portrait was the man from his world? His hedging frustrated me, and I made no attempt to hide my irritation. “Just tell her, Grandpa. Please.” He glared at me, then turned back to Sadie. “I can’t be certain from this photo if your father is ...

I couldn’t breathe. The Sky People, Grandpa Mac’s homeworld, my father… all of it was too much. I closed my eyes, needing time to think and digest everything Cord just told me. “Sadie?” His voice sounded muted and distant, as though he was calling to me from another room. He grasped my hands with a ...

Why is it so hard for Cord to tell me the truth? I stared at him, waiting for him to talk. I knew he wanted to kiss me. And I wanted to fall into his arms and experience his mouth against mine. But the moment our lips touched, I would be swept away by our ...

I stared at Piehtár’s face and struggled to breathe. Could it possibly be true? That this man was Sadie’s father? As he peered in my direction, I saw more and more of Sadie in his features. Grandpa Mac’s voice crept into my head. “Do you need additional proof?” Although his resemblance to Sadie was remarkable, ...

When one hears the phrase Roe v. Wade, the first thing that commonly comes to mind is the ruling by the Supreme Court making abortion legal. It’s not wrong either since abortion is the most common, as well as the easiest, thing to see affected by the ruling. But the ruling has wider implications than ...

I mulled over last night’s dinner as Grandpa Mac placed a cup of yaupon tea in front of me. A moment later, he set a matching teacup across the table from me and sat down. After dinner last night, he stayed with us instead of making the four-hour drive back to his cabin in Pennsylvania. ...