Into the Fall

by Tamara L. Miller

“Matthew,” she croaked. Her hand reached out beside her. An empty sleeping bag deflated under her touch. Months later, she will say she woke that morning to find her husband missing, but at her most vulnerable—when fear and loneliness creep in on sleepless nights—she’ll admit in those few moments, she knew Matthew was already lost to her.

Sarah had once said that life was better when you acted like a sapling in the wind, twisting and bending when needed, so that the roots stay strong and whole.

Sarah was astonished by her ability to love someone who resented her so much.

“The devil loves unspoken secrets. Especially those that fester in a man’s soul,”