By Marcy Dermansky
Emily tracked down her biological father in a small, industrial town in Northern Germany. Henry Bean had ducked out of Emily’s life when she was only six months old, not long after her mother had left him for another man.
“Look at you,” he said. “You’re gorgeous.”
They met for the first time at a [...]

By Marcy Dermansky

The next morning, Henry’s car wouldn’t start.
“Are you sure?” Emily said. “Are you sure it won’t start?”
Henry turned the key in the ignition. Nothing.
“What happens now?” she said.
Henry shrugged. He pulled the bag of weed, purple haze, from his jeans pocket. He removed the rolling papers from [...]

By Marcy Dermansky

There were no stars in the sky at the campground. Emily could hear Bob Marley coming from the tent next to her. She could smell marijuana smoke in the air. Henry and Otto had finished off another joint, sitting out in front of their tents, but it wasn’t just them. The aroma was [...]

By Marcy Dermansky
Emily tracked down her biological father in a small, industrial town in Northern Germany. Henry Bean had ducked out of Emily’s life when she was only six months old, not long after her mother had left him for another man.
“Look at you,” he said. “You’re gorgeous.”
They met for the first time at a [...]

By Marcy Dermansky
In a café in Amsterdam, Henry Bean presented to his newly discovered, grown daughter a thick joint and a glass of fresh orange juice.
“This is weed like you have never tried before,” he said. “The buds are so fresh. Smell. See how delicious that is?  You take the first puff.”
Emily had only smoked [...]

By Marcy Dermansky

Henry’s friend Otto had gray, shoulder-length hair and wore little round wire glasses. He greeted Emily as if he had expected her for some time.
“The lost child,” he said, staring at her intently. “It is a delight to meet you.”
Emily understood she had been discussed. [...]

By Danielle Trussoni
A fairy tale of great kingdoms, epic battles, wise men and royal families.

By Patrick Somerville
A secret operative home from parts unknown wants to go straight — if only he could convince his wife he’s a different person, and stop those guys from following him in hopes of bringing him back.

By Jess Walter
Darrell’s ex-girlfriend Lisa always wanted him to be more spontaneous. Turns out that did not mean show up at her new, muscular boyfriend’s house just before Christmas and insist that Lisa come back home with him.

By Eric Puchner
Lyle’s mother had to drive her to work, a universe of suck, because her dad’s car had been stolen from the driveway and he’d had to borrow Lyle’s Renault, which despite having the words “Le Car” stenciled on the door in bubble letters was infinitely less embarrassing than riding with her mom. They [...]

By Elise Blackwell
Luke Mills returned home from the work that paid to the work that did not. After turning onto his property, he down-shifted and took slowly the ascending curves of the long gravel driveway, inspecting the orchard. One winter when he was a boy, his father pointed to a stand of apple trees and [...]

By Edan Lepucki
In the summer, Kat bought a dress, her first in many years.  She had begun walking to work, and eschewing the elevator for the five flights of stairs to the office where she temped.  She declined dessert, and sometimes even bread, too.  Once she tried sticking her finger down her throat — it [...]

By Emma Straub
Laura and Stephen were set up by their therapist. It was after they’d both quit going to their bereavement support groups, and didn’t seem any weirder than being set up by your divorce lawyer, which had happened to a couple of Laura’s girlfriends. Rose suggested they meet at a Starbucks, somewhere public, where [...]