Every year during the holidays, I try to do one good deed a day through Advent. It’s dropping $500 into a red kettle. Other days, I pull tags from an Angel Tree and buy gifts for children I’ll never meet. Toys for Tots, the food pantry, clothing for the women’s shelter — all small ways I try to bring a little light to the season. There’s a homeless man who spends time not far from where I live. I’ve given him money before...

Her stare was deadly as I walked into the room. We had been fighting for a week over stupid marriage stuff. She sat on the couch with her knees up and half of her tiny breasts hanging out. Her shoulder-length curly red hair looked tousled, as if she had just woken up. In her smoky Irish accent, she said, "Don’t say anything. Just come over here and fuck me." I untied her top from around her neck and let it drop around her...

Nick blew in the door in a whirlwind of snow, stomping his feet and cursing under his breath. He knew that it was inevitable that tonight’s event would be cancelled due to the storm. He’d barely stepped five feet into the nearly abandoned mall when his phone dinged. “Thanks to the snowstorm, 'Santa After Hours' has been cancelled tonight. We’ll be in touch when it has been rescheduled.” Fuck. He had been very excited for...

I hear Molly and Adam knocking on apartment doors down the hall, working their way towards mine. What is it they want to "borrow" on this fine December Saturday? I wonder. A few days ago, they'd run out of garlic powder. On Thanksgiving, sage and nutmeg. The week before that, a cup of sugar. Don’t get me wrong; I like being neighborly and helping them out, but it is a pattern. Finally they knock on my door, wearing big, s...

Every year during the holidays, I try to do one good deed a day through Advent. It’s dropping $500 into a red kettle. Other days, I pull tags from an Angel Tree and buy gifts for children I’ll never meet. Toys for Tots, the food pantry, clothing for the women’s shelter — all small ways I try to bring a little light to the season. There’s a homeless man who spends time not far from where I live. I’ve given him money before...

I will never forget our first Christmas together. My husband, Keith, had this tradition of having a Christmas party the weekend before the holiday. He would have his family and friends over for a big blowout. This year, since we have moved and gotten married, his family would not be able to come, and most of his friends could not either, but a few could. I felt bad for him and wanted him to keep his traditions. I told him...

Her stare was deadly as I walked into the room. We had been fighting for a week over stupid marriage stuff. She sat on the couch with her knees up and half of her tiny breasts hanging out. Her shoulder-length curly red hair looked tousled, as if she had just woken up. In her smoky Irish accent, she said, "Don’t say anything. Just come over here and fuck me." I untied her top from around her neck and let it drop around her...