I sat in the middle section of the lecture hall, about halfway up, my mind drifting as usual during Professor Jones's calculus class. God, why did this semester have to be so brutal? I'd always been the golden girl. Top three in my high school class and acing everything in college until now. But calculus? It was kicking my ass, and my focus was shot. Maybe it was the loneliness creeping in again. Dad had died three years...

An Indian businessman was walking through town, clearly lost. I noticed him from across the street, his expensive suit out of place in the rough neighborhood, a map in hand and a confused expression on his face. As a corporate lawyer who'd grown up in these gritty streets, I knew trouble when I saw it brewing. Three young degenerates—probably no older than twenty, with hoodies pulled low and smirks that screamed entitleme...

The island's wild beauty enveloped Levi and Katherine like a lover's embrace, the crisp Alaskan air mingling with the distant crash of waves and the earthy scent of pine. Their own cabin was still a distant dream, logs yet to be felled and shaped, so they settled into Donald and Kimmy's cozy log home. By the ancient family laws etched into our clan's history, Levi—as the elder male beneath this roof—assumed the role of ma...