It was about lunchtime on a Thursday, and everyone except for Michael and I had left. I had just finished the last load of laundry when Michael called me. "Hey, get in here!" he bellowed from the living room. "Coming!" I yelled back from the laundry room on the other side of the house. "Ah, man," I muttered to myself. I had been working all day, packing, doing laundry, and cleaning for this crazy trip, and now he needed s...

I stepped out onto the front porch, cradling my coffee in hand, and breathed in the refreshing scent of the morning rain. Inside, I could hear the lively chatter of my wife's sister and her boyfriend James at the breakfast table. Surprisingly, I hadn't been summoned back inside to join them, despite the unsettling encounter with Michael in the kitchen earlier. Settling into my favorite wicker chair, I carefully placed my...

6:30 am: The alarm on my cell phone began a soft buzz and the ambient blue light filled the small space next to my bed. As I shook off the night’s sleep, it occurred to me that it was Sunday. I glance out the small attic window above my bed to see the sun peeking above the trees, another warm day ahead and I plan a big breakfast to prepare as I pull the sheets back and sit up on the edge of the bed to grab a drink of wate...