“This story has a special place in my heart. It was the last one I wrote for my thesis. Denis Johnson was my teacher at the time and he loved it, so I always loved it too. This story has had many endings and he told me back then, “well this isn’t the right ending, and it will likely take you five years to figure that out, but one day there it will be.” And you know, he was right. The edit of this story you have is seven pages shorter than any other version. I had always overwritten the ending. It was there all along. He passed away a year later and it has been five years since he told me that it would take five years to find the ending. Funny how things work out like that. “
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BABY CALLS IT HOME
published with Green Hills Literary Lantern, read the entire story here.
Out past the reservation is a trailer for sale. They plan to hitch it to the truck, tow it all the way to California. It could be a home enough. Max convinced Claire he would take her so far from Libby neither of them might remember the lives they left behind. They keep the windows rolled down as they drive because exhaust floods back into the cab and makes them both sick. Claire rests her feet on the dash. The hot dry air of July blows up her skirt. They laugh on just about everything, things that aren’t even funny. For the briefest of thoughts, Max worries this is too tall an order; people like him don’t get to ask for the kind of happiness they’re after. But quick as the notion comes, it’s gone.