The Overdue Life of Amy Byler

by Kelly Harms

“Do you think forgiveness is a skill learned through practice, like playing chess, or a talent given to you at birth, like singing in tune?”

Knew if I took one more step ahead in this hard life I had tumbled into, I would collapse. I had to stop everything. I sat up in my bed, wheezing, and the room began to go black. I was in a tunnel of light. The air stopped coming in. I was breathing, but air wasn’t reaching my lungs. I tried sniffing in through my nose and felt light. I thought, I am dying, but I didn’t feel afraid of that.

The person I was before was a shapeless shell, waiting for my life to start.

The man who is a successful pianist is a definite one. I have always wanted to date a musician. Think of his fingers . . .