Avaa Winter

“Strangers in the Park” by Avaa Winter

Submitted to Contest #56

The sun was beginning to make its descent as Chloe and Michael walked to the end of their street, but the air was still heavy with the heat of the day.  “Man, they should have done this at least a couple hours from now. I’m sweating already. But I guess people do have kids and can’t be out that late. They probably don’t want to be out late anyway after last Saturday…..” Michael said as he adjusted the tray he was carrying.  “If you ask me, they shouldn’t have done this at all. You know I hate things like this.” “Come on, Chlo...

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“Two Secrets, Two Rings” by Avaa Winter

As we tucked ourselves into the car to begin the winding drive out of the city and down to the bay, my hand nervously felt around for the little box in my pocket. Ever since the ring had arrived in my life, I had been looking in on it more often than was probably necessary. I mean, it couldn’t grow legs and walk away now could it? Regardless, I was desperately worried that Elayne would find it, or that it would somehow disappear.  Elayne and I had been dating a little over two years now, and all I wanted was for those two years to tur...

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“The Ice Cream Stand” by Avaa Winter

Submitted to Contest #53

“Your popsicle is melting.” The words sounded as if they were coming at me from underwater. “What?” “Your popsicle is melting. You wouldn’t want to let it go to waste when I worked so hard to give it to you, now would you?” I must have continued to look completely blank, because he rushed to say, “that was a joke.” Inez was giggling on the bench next to me, and the redness of my face had nothing to do with the summer sun beating down all around us. “I’m Inez,” she said through her breathless snorts, “And that’s Kelsie. You’ll ha...

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“Home Again, Love Again” by Avaa Winter

Submitted to Contest #51

As I turned down the driveway, I was almost shocked at how instinctively I guided the car. It had been more than a decade since I had last followed this path, made these turns, and I was barely old enough to be driving then. And yet, my body remembered. My hands moved without me. Just past the gate, I saw daffodils starting to bloom and my heart ached. Daffodils had been blooming by that gate for years before my mother had told me why she planted them. “Here they start to bloom in February. This way, you will always have flowers to enjoy...

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“Faith” by Avaa Winter

Submitted to Contest #49

“Thank you,” the receptionist said, as she handed back my health insurance card. She smiled at me. My hand floated across the counter automatically to take it, the cheap, plasticky feel of it in my grasp not really registering.  Why is this happening? It’s not as if she needs it. It’s not as if she hasn’t seen me before. It’s not as if she doesn’t know why I’m here. But she might not, I reminded myself. To her, I might just be one of the many faces she saw every day. She wasn’t the doctor, after all. The doctor was meant to keep thing...

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“The Typewriter” by Avaa Winter

Submitted to Contest #46

"Man, where is that damn thing?" I muttered to myself as I dug around for the wrench I needed. The leak below the kitchen sink had gotten impossible to ignore, but of course the wrench wasn't where I thought it was. It didn't help that the bitter cold of the Iowa winter was relentlessly seeping into the garage, making my search that much more unpleasant. "Daddy, you said a bad word!" I turned to find Anna, my little girl standing in the doorway. Her bare feet caught my eye. They must be freezing, I thought, as a pang dove through my ches...

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