“It’s my condo!” Emma yelled at Ty as he slammed the door on his way out four weeks ago. Since then, she texted him a dozen times with no response from his sorry ass. It was time for his stuff to go. She was almost gleeful. Think of the closet space I’ll get back.

Zach had had it. Seven weeks, the doctor said. Seven weeks of resting with his leg elevated. No walking on it. Nothing. He still had three weeks to go.

If only I hadn’t slid into home. If only the throw to the catcher had been wide. If only the hit had been deeper to left field. Only if... He’d replayed the scene in his head over and over. There was nothing to do differently. It was an accident of baseball, simple.

Dad looked at the black puppy with her pink tongue and pink belly. He adjusted his hands to keep the squirming pup from falling and stared at the little ball of fat fur. 

The puppy responded by licking his hands and then peeing, drops dribbling down my dad’s hands and arms and falling to the floor.

Damn it.

The first time Trevor saw Constance, he noticed her blue eyes, clear and piercing beneath dark black lashes. She ordered a maple creemee cone, small, no sprinkles.

“Just to be clear, I will never date you,” Kylie said.

“Wow, that’s harsh,” Kevin said. “I mean, never is a really long time.”

My snow pants swished as I walked toward the breads. As I rounded the corner, the last package of Klinger’s maple pull apart bread beckoned on the shelf. I imagined biting into the delicious soft bread, drenched with maple sugar glaze and a touch of cinnamon.

It was open mike night at the Ridgeline Bar & Grille. The wood walls gave a mellow echo to the music. The beer was cold. The patrons were amiable, maybe even forgiving. God, she hoped they were forgiving. She and John had played here many times. 

But not in thirty-three years.

Carson blinked. His legs weren’t where they were supposed to be. Instead, a glittery, white flowing robe covered his body. A second ago, he’d been riding in a convertible with his best friend Dillon, barreling down Main Street while pounding back PBRs and screaming the lyrics to Eminem’s “Lose Yourself. Now he had no idea where he was.

Ria loved her early morning routine at the Inn. She could sip her coffee in the empty dining room before the guests woke up, and stare out at the snowy landscape with the horses in the distance creating clouds of smoke as they snorted.

But today …

Up ahead, the darkness was punctured by blinking red taillights. She stopped her car. Visions of horror movies played through her head. Should she lock the doors? Turn the car around and drive the other way? She screamed when a large, amorphous shape loomed in her headlights, waving at her.

Millicent sighed. Here we go again. Yet another love match to be made. Yet another afternoon interrupting her own plans in order to bring about a happily ever after between two people who hadn’t even met yet.

As superpowers go, there are others she would have preferred.

Grace pulled her white robe off its hangar and swore to herself. She’d forgotten to iron it, and now there was no time. Just another bump in this bumpy day.

Jax and Gillian needed a proper last adventure, an overnight hike together up to Mount Abe and along the Long Trail to the App Gap. It would take them longer than it used to, Jax walked slowly now.

But honestly, this wedding thing was getting on her nerves.

Kerri and Pete were married on a brilliant summer day at the family church in Connecticut surrounded by loving family and dear friends. Guests enjoyed food and dancing, laughter and toasts, and Kerri remembers none of it.

Celebration. Meghan agreed with her dad yesterday, last week, last month, hell, even a year ago when Tony asked her to marry. But now, with the ceremony minutes away, she was rethinking everything, including walking down the aisle at all.

“I like your watch,” Eliza blurted, and then did a mental face palm at her awkwardness. If Melissa were here, she’d know exactly what to say. She’d have some witty remark that would make the man laugh and look at her twice.

The ski season kickoff party was underway. Full-time employees and the new crop of seasonal workers drank craft beers and cocktails together at the bar, and devoured …

Sara’s hand kept going to her right wrist. Again and again, throughout the afternoon, but no matter how often she did it, the bracelet wasn’t there. There was no telling where she’d lost it.

She gnawed on her lip, trying to balance her murky mood against the flashback images of her adorable students walking forward to her desk, holding out their precious cards, and murmuring ‘thank’ you or ‘have a happy day.’ With each big hug she gave them, Janie’s heart had sunk a little lower.