I’m in shambles when I steer my truck into your driveway. Outside, the rain is louder than my engine, and for a moment, I debate shifting the truck into reverse and leaving before I make a choice I regret. I mean, why risk it when I could stay safe and dry? I let my trembling hand move to the gearshift, but then I stop, my eyes on the windshield. The wipers swish back and forth, the rhythm nearly ...

I only had three things on my list upon walking into Target: sunscreen, shampoo, and something special for myself, since it was Valentine’s Day and I had no one else to be with. Being single didn’t necessarily bother me as it did other people, though. I was happy and content on my own. Still, sometimes I wondered what it would be like to experience something as pure and genuine as true love, somet...

“I believe this is where we part,” she said, stopping near one of the gates and looking up at me.

My sweet daughter. After five months of being apart, her in California and me in Illinois, we were forced to say goodbye again. She’d flown back from her university to spend Christmas with me and her mother, a three-week break that went by much faster than I could have anticipated. Maybe it’s normal f...

You shameless lover, I never thanked you properly. To be seen with you is to be basked in warmth. You angel—that halo over your head radiates all the light in the world. How could I love anyone but you?

This may sound a bit desperate, but don’t ever close your heart on me. I’m cradled so safely inside it—no one else could ever hold me like you do.

I know I’m begging, but don’t ever lock me out. ...