Top Highlights

• God, how she missed that smell. It was warm, kind of like sandalwood. A little citrusy. A little cinnamon. Less apparent in the morning when the scent of body wash prevailed. Stronger after he’d exercised, or in the evening, when the kids were asleep and she’d curl up by his side on the sofa, the two of them lit only by the glow of the TV…
• She poured the batter, and went to the hall closet to see if anything more came to mind. The top shelf was lined with assorted household necessities: light bulbs, duct tape, a hammer, a screwdriver, and the big yellow flashlight. She figured Greg had probably kept a supply of such things at Lilac House, but wondered if she should take the flashligh...
• Then she went to her bedroom and fetched the two empty suitcases from her closet, so she could load them in the car before the kids came back down. She didn’t want to have to explain that she planned to clean out Lilac House. Greg’s brother had stressed after the funeral that she should sell it—she shouldn’t be carrying two mortgages and keeping up...
• Anna nodded and waved as Crystal took off. She liked Crystal—in fact, she’d liked all of Greg’s staff. Being a kind of mother figure to them had been something she’d enjoyed. But playing that role now was like trying to hold onto a snowflake. The role had dissolved when Greg died, and as long as she kept performing it, she’d never stop thinking abo...
• Hope transferred the fresh packages of dance tights from the shipping carton to the wicker basket, and then carried the basket to the stand near the window. Retracing her steps, she picked up the packages that had slid to the floor and balanced them on top of the pile. She knew they’d probably slide right off again the moment a customer dug in, but...