A

seat at the bar


Cassy adjusted the straps of her black apron, fingers nervously fiddling with a loose thread as she leaned against the bar counter. It was a slow night, the kind where the jukebox hummed out a lazy tune, and the soft clink of glasses was the only competition it had. Not that anyone was drinking from them. The woman in her early 30’s kept alternating between glasses with her rag. Desperately trying

Is this seat taken


The evening light reflected on the bus windows like amber honey, diffused and heavy in the stagnant air of a day just past its prime. I always loved this hour. The hush of commuters, the low rumble of the bus engine beneath me, and the faint crackle of worn leather seats trying to bear the load of my abundance. It was a kind of solace, really, being cradled by something so steady when the world often struggled to accommodate a woman of

Gaining girlfriend meets the parents



“Red or white Sandra?” said Derek from the basement.

Derek and Sandra

Goodburn

were preparing a feast for

their

son and his new girlfriend. It would be the first time they have met

the fab

Spoilt






The kitchen smelled of rosemary and garlic, a symphony of rich spices steadily saturating the air. Greg stood on his tiptoes, straining every sinew in his tiny frame while reaching for the pots perched tauntingly high on the kitchen's topmost shelf.

This wasn’t Greg’s own kitchen, for the simple reason that the

Cup of Coco






The air was sharp and frosted with the crisp bite of winter’s chill, its icy fingers weaving tendrils around the glow of the streetlamps. Snowflakes cascaded in an unhurried waltz from the heavens, blanketing the world in a silent, pristine stillness. Bill tugged his scarf higher, his breath clouding in the air as he trudged up the path

. The ma