fool you. Twist it gently.”
Ben tried.
The apple refused to leave the branch.
Daniel laughed.
“When something is ready, you shouldn’t have to fight it.”
I stood nearby watching them, wishing I could somehow preserve that moment forever.
Daniel had been more tired than usual lately.
Neither of us said much about it in front of the children, but I had started noticing everything.
How long he rested after using the ladder.
How much food he left on his plate.
How often his hand drifted toward his chest when he thought nobody was paying attention.
One afternoon, he caught me staring.
“Claire, stop worrying.”
“I wasn’t worrying.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“We’ve been married twenty-seven years. You’re still terrible at lying.”
Before I could answer, someone called from the other side of the fence.
“Looks like you’re getting quite a harvest.”
Our neighbor Monica stood there, peering through the
