The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

by Aimee Bender

The world had matched what he’d dreamed up, and he settled himself inside what they’d made. He was cheerful enough when he came home from work but he didn’t really know what to do with little kids so he never taught us how to ride a bike, or wear a mitt, and our changes in height remained unmarked on the door frames, so we grew tall on our own without proof.

could feel the tears beginning to collect in my throat again, but I pushed them apart, away from each other. Tears are only a threat in groups.