With Mom and Aunt Clara and Cousin Jeff off at the flower show, Jamie had the house to herself. She wouldn’t have minded going, she liked flowers, but she had to work her afternoon shift at the hardware store, once owned by her father. “Make up Clara’s bed before you head out, sweetie,” her mom had whispered just as they were leaving. Jamie half snorted, for it was her bed—she was relegated to the uncomfortable cot in the...

I couldn’t sleep. I lay awake in bed, trying to will myself into a deep slumber, but I couldn’t manage it. It was already one in the morning, but my body wasn’t the least bit tired. I knew I should be. I knew I’d be tired the next day if I didn’t sleep soon. But I had too much energy right now. I sighed. I might as well get out of bed. Staying here wasn’t accomplishing anything. Maybe I could find something to read. I got...

One of my favorite things to do is to watch Molly make herself come. Although sometimes she pretends to be shy about it, she likes me to watch. Maybe it even helps her get off. The first time she did it, we were at her parents’ house. We weren’t married yet. In fact, that afternoon we’d told her parents we planned to get married in a year. They were very happy for us. They ordered pizza for carryout, and while her dad was...