An explosion and fire leaves Cosette, 10, and her mom Syl in crisis, they stay with their divorced neighbor Julie. But where's Sette's dad (Theo)? At Julie's, her ex-husband and his gorgeous admin (now his 2nd wife) visit often, staying, uh, overnight. Together in her bed. Really? How does that even work? Theo is back; he's studly in bed but unemployed, they're at risk for homelessness. Fond of Sette, Julie worries. What to do? (No under 18 sex.)
An accident leaves six orphans behind, 3 males and 3 females. The oldest male/female pair of step-siblings are 18. They have to act as parents for the other two M/F pairs of step-siblings, aged 15 and 9. Of necessity, the new parents share the big bedroom, and loving shenanigans follow. Each 15 year old finds an outside partner; new irresistible romantic and sexual feelings can't be denied. More passionate adults become active family members. Active with each other?!
Driving home from a funeral, Hal stops to get gas, sees his muffler needs attention, decides to give blood while waiting for the repairs, and meets a shy, lovely girl perhaps half his age who is making her first blood donation.
After returning to college in order to qualify for an important promotion, Peter Saunders discovers his wife having an affair with a work colleague. Devastated, but afraid to confront her with the truth, he instead embarks on a relationship with a young student. Torn between both women, he must decide whether to try to salvage his marriage or risk all to pursue a possible future with his new love.
Alice failed to show up at work one morning. Her roommate thinks she's headed cross-country to her childhood home on a now non-producing ranch in Montana. Her parents receive word that Alice's pickup truck was found on a remote corner of the ranch. Inside is no trace of her; however she has left behind her journal that describes a strange encounter she experienced ten years earlier when she was an unhappy girl in high school.
A Take Me Out to the Ballgame Story Sam was a rookie pitcher for the Orioles. He was 12th man on a twelve-man staff, but he was holding on. Now, he was to have a Japanese roommate who knew no English. The new guy was also a pitcher: A starter, more experienced and more highly regarded than Sam. But there would be more than just language barriers. And then there was Amy...
A mysterious vintage Leica begins delivering photographs Alex never took—intimate moments with a woman he hasn’t met. Each image pulls him deeper into the city’s shadows and toward Maya, a poet with secrets of her own. As the camera reveals glimpses of a perfect future, Alex must choose: follow the vision—or step out of the frame and into something real. A story about love, fate, and a life unframed. This is the draft prior to final edit, which reduced it from 6,500 words to 1,700.