Personal Growth
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The Illusions – Chapter 13
On a Saturday morning, Jeff sends me a selfie: his hair wild, sticking up in tufts, his undershirt creased, glasses askew, and that lopsided grin splitting his face. He wishes me a good morning, and I can’t help but laugh,… Continue reading
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The Illusions – Chapter 9
The soft rock music playing is a relief, filling the silence in the car on the way back. It feels like we’re both running on low battery, neither wanting to admit it. At home, I collapse onto my back patio,… Continue reading
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The Illusions – Chapter 8
My phone buzzes with a selfie from Jeff, lounging at the airport gate. He’s wearing that same athletic-style top, the one he had on Friday evening, and I can’t resist teasing him about it. How he always gravitates toward the… Continue reading
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The Illusions – Chapter 5
My phone vibrates on the nightstand, and I reach for it. “My quote of the day from my current book.” A text from Jeff arrives as I linger in bed, sunlight pooling on the sheets. “‘We inflate ourselves with a… Continue reading
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The Illusions – Chapter 4 – Lizzie
The slam of a door startles me awake, slicing through the foggy residue of another fractured night. My head is heavy, my limbs still sunk in the mattress, but somewhere between sleep and waking the word run flashes through my… Continue reading
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The Illusions – Chapter 3
As the days blend together, Jeff and I fall into a steady pattern—calls and texts threading through the quiet stretches of my routine. He’s candid about his past. The women on some dating app, the halfhearted connections that never reached… Continue reading
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The Illusions – Chapter 1
The weather is perfect — warm sun, light breeze — the kind that tricks you into believing things could be easy, that life might be simple. Yet it’s another busy day at work. I come back to the office after… Continue reading
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The Detour – Chapter 6
Weeks ago ~ It’s another Saturday afternoon, and we’re on our second video call before my trip to Ithaca. Jeff starts the call with Lesley and me, but immediately blacks out his camera. Lesley and I exchange shrugs as we… Continue reading
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The Detour – Chapter 4
I rush home from work, my keys fumbling in my hand and my mind already halfway out the door. Tonight is our first group event, and the thought of axe throwing sends nervous flutters through my stomach. Not the bad… Continue reading
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The Detour – Chapter 3
We call ourselves The Healing Collective, though for now, it’s a small planning committee of us three: Jeff, Lesley, and me. It was Jeff’s idea. He believes divorce doesn’t have to be all tears and grief. Maybe we can laugh,… Continue reading
