Under a Blanket

Flash Fiction Magazine · yesterday · 10 views

Melanie tosses beer cans in the recycle bin then rinses coffee grinds and caked instant oatmeal from dishes left in the sink. She hears her father’s breathing rattle as he takes a noon nap when she passes his room with her laundry basket. She moves his T-shirts and pants from the washer into the dryer. Before throwing her jeans into the washing machine, she pulls a folded pink envelope from the pocket. She thinks of the girls on the bus yesterday talking up Susie’s thirteenth birthday party.   “I can’t come. I have plans,” she’d told Susie. “My dad is…is taking […]