immediate family

Blood makes you related, loyalty makes you family.

Arthur Drive
Wilma slammed shut the door of her little beige Ford Focus, mentally checked-out walking up to her apartment door, being careful not to slip on the slick pavement from recently frozen over sidewalk. Fingering the correct little gold key into the lock with oversized mittens still on, sighing out a big breath closing the door behind her.
By Holly Cook6 years ago in Families
Keep Going
Money can’t buy happiness. Growing up on the West side of Eldrick View, I was always told to be grateful for what I have. I mean at least we weren’t living on the streets. This guy Jacob and his whole family got kicked out last week and are God knows where trying to survive. Money can solve so many issues. How could it not solve happiness?
By Meriam Santiago Alhajam6 years ago in Families
Check that again
I can definitely use twenty-thousand dollars. In fact, it’s exactly what I need, at exactly this moment in time. My phone rings morning to night from bill collectors. I’m living on a cash basis these days (and not much of it). And, as it happens, I’ve just negotiated a payment settlement with the IRS - for twenty-thousand dollars I do not have. It might as well be a million dollars.
By Phoenix A6 years ago in Families
Motherly
It’s been two months since she died, but the memory of Ash’s mother hangs around her like a wet, heavy wool cloth that won’t dry. Seeping and dripping into everything.
By fēnix grace6 years ago in Families
Secrets In My Mother's Journal
My mother died on a deceptively blue summer day in August. She’d been sick just about a year with cancer that ravaged relentlessly, never giving her a chance, not really.
By Iisannah6 years ago in Families
The Orphan Killer
You are nothing. You are unloved, these are the thoughts that raced through young Sarah’s mind. In the distance a man calls out, “Sarah?” In a daze she nods away her thoughts and replies, “yes?”
By Holly Underwood6 years ago in Families
Family Tree
All he ever wanted was some damn peace and quiet – to sit alone with a box of Fuentes and a glass of Johnnie Walker. He had put in his time, working nearly 50 years to provide for his wife, son and daughter. With his children finally grown, occupied by families of their own and his wife ten years gone, he felt his selfishness was relatively justified. He was never a bad father, just terribly busy – often starting work before his children woke and returning far past their bedtimes. This left very little time to do fatherly tasks such as teaching them to ride a bike or building the tree house in the backyard he once promised.
By Sarah Lynn Hyatt6 years ago in Families
Luck's Smile
Luck’s Smile Busara kneeled as she cleansed her face with the ice-cold water from the creek. She felt it rinse the dust from her cheeks and forehead as it dribbled down her chin. The evening air began to chill as the sun set, it was around six o'clock in Tanzania. Busara was always amazed that the horizon she passed every day can look so different. She had just finished a sixteen-hour shift at the tanzanite mines and she still had a long walk ahead of her. Busara hadn’t found anything in the mine that day, as usual. She has been working in the mines since she was twelve. When she started, she was frightened of the long walk to and from the mines; but as time moved on, she got accustomed to it. She walked dragging her feet behind her, stopping at the water pump to bring back clean water. People had forgotten about that water pump, during a drought it started to get people sick even when they boiled the water. The pump always seemed to have an overpowering smell of rotten eggs. The government had built a new pump closer to the village and people soon forgot about the old pump. One morning, Busara walked past the old pump on her way to work. She was so thirsty that she decided to try to drink from it, aware of how unsafe her choice was, she had noticed on her travels that ever since the new well had been built the smell from the old well had begun to disappear. The day passed by uneventfully, and when she told her family in the evening, her father said not to tell anyone. The main water pump of the village was always crowded and dirty, so the family agreed to keep it a secret. From that day on she got water from it every day. She would leave a bucket beside the pump every morning and every evening she would bring it back full.
By Niki Newport6 years ago in Families
Things Unsaid
“I should’ve talked to him sooner,” Jim muttered. “Not this again, Jimmy,” Cousin Ed said, while packing books. He doesn’t get it, Jim thought. None of them get it.
By Josh Neil6 years ago in Families
A Gift For A Gift
By: K.Valley Thank you. That's usually what you say when you receive a gift. You say, “thank you.” That's what I should say.
By K.Valley6 years ago in Families
So, this is Goodbye.
James, I should’ve let you know that I was pregnant. I knew you would've made me stop drinking and I never would’ve made it full term if I was sober. As I sit here and down my last bottle, all I can think about is how much better off you would've been if I'd done this sooner. If you didn't have the burden of knowing that I’m your mother, you could've amounted to more. Please, understand that I had to tell the hospital staff that you’re their father. They need you James. You’re all Kiah and Dominic have.
By Janice Daily6 years ago in Families
Concerning Ladybugs and Time
My dearest Lucy, I hope you enjoy. - Amma Lucy stared at the writing. It was on a folded up piece of notebook paper, tucked inside the binding. She shut the notebook, keeping her thumb inside. Just a plain black notebook. Nothing notable about it. The cover was a smooth leather-like material, most likely faux, with no distinguishing lettering or marks. She flipped it back open.
By Lara Isabel6 years ago in Families