The Things We Leave Behind

by Tanya Anne Crosby

Shifting into high gear, Zoe started with the obvious—her clothes, her laptop, most of her toiletries. Most because, after eight years in the house, there was a lot that had accumulated simply because she couldn’t throw things out. Zoe wasn’t a hoarder by any stretch,

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Starting over didn’t have to be scary or painful if you looked at it for what it was—a clean slate, a chance to create something entirely different, a chance to discard all things that weren’t in sync with personal philosophies. Hope.

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“I thought you might wanna join me for a drink?” He wasn’t trying to figure Zoe out, she realized. He was trying to figure out the best way to manipulate her. Zoe closed the laptop. “Where?”

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As though on cue, his answering smile turned lascivious, and the once handsome face appeared both diabolical and childlike—like a life-sized Chucky doll. “Yeah?” he’d asked, nodding with approval—as though Zoe had finally learned how to treat her man.

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The house was full of things Zoe had bought: paintings, curtains, sofa, bed—everything came from Zoe’s own sweat and hard work, while Chris had spent his sporadic paychecks on beer and shots for the bar. But

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