Colby Wynan always thought of himself as a man with three hearts—the one he showed to his loved ones, the one he showed to his friends, and the one he never showed to anyone. It was not that he was hiding anything; it was just that he didn’t know himself what resided there. Was he saving it for a special purpose, or to protect himself in case the first heart was broken? It was a mystery, but Colby knew it … Read More »

I feared this drive. Shivering, the cold Sunday morning after Christmas made my teeth chatter. The minivan’s wheels crunched over salted streets. I passed houses weighed down in slushy white. My wife and kids were still asleep, warm in their beds. I breathed and raked a hand through my thinning, graying hair. Marriage.Kids.Mortgage.Bills. How’d I get this old? I turned onto the onramp. The highway lines blurred and my mind cleared, leaving nothing else to think about but him. Granddad. … Read More »

Single When one has previously been seen as two, a newly perceived single woman often suggests the context of a half-life, an attempt to double back on her previous secure identity.   I will never accept the bromide “my better half.” It implies that a part of me is not only missing but is somehow inherently preferable, so that my oneness, my uniqueness, needs to be complemented by an extension of myself in order for me to be considered whole. … Read More »

Note: This short story was one of Mary Bostwick’s top 10 picks for the 2015 edition of The FWA Collection.  “What do you mean, you’re not making fried chicken tonight?” Rudy had just walked into Stella’s house which, this evening, lacked the usual Saturday night aroma of frying chicken. “You always do fried chicken on Saturdays.” “Watch my lips, Rudy. I am not making fried chicken tonight. In fact, I’m not cooking tonight at all. I’m going out to eat.” “Well, la-di-da. … Read More »

The FWA Board of Directors wants to showcase our winning Collections authors. Please read Kamesa Evette Carter’s winning short story. A Teen Mom Starts Over As a kid, I was a fan of the Choose Your Own Adventure series of books. I liked choosing what direction the story took to its ultimate end. Once, I was eaten by a shark. Another time, I was betrayed by a friend and locked in a dungeon. Of course, I liked the ending where … Read More »