The Rain That Changed Everything The windshield wipers on Jasper Tate’s old Civic thrashed desperately against the heavy October rain, but no amount of swiping could clear the fog in his mind. Eighteen minutes. That’s all the time he had to punch in at Valmont Industries before Frank Morrison’s final warning became permanent. He could still picture Frank’s fat finger hovering over the time clock like a judge about to strike a gavel. One more minute late, Tate. You’re done. Industrial Boulevard gleamed under the wet streetlights, the slick pavement

The Beginning of Everything I was twenty-two when I met Thanh. He was visiting from the city, staying with his aunt for the summer. Everything about him seemed dazzling—clean clothes, a confident air, a charm I had never encountered in our small village. We met at the market, where I sold vegetables from my family’s tiny garden. Thanh bought cucumbers he probably didn’t need, just to talk to me. And I, young and hungry for more than the monotony of village life, fell instantly in love. For three months, we

The Quiet Game Laughter bounced off the walls of the Damascus Rose Restaurant’s private dining room like tiny shards of crystal. I sat perfectly still, my fork hovering over untouched lamb, watching twelve members of the Almanzor family speak in rapid Arabic. The words flew past me like a river over stones. Supposedly, I understood nothing. Tariq, my fiancé, sat at the head of the table, his hand heavy on my shoulder. He didn’t translate a single word. His mother, Leila, studied me with sharp, hawk-like eyes, a faint smile