Emma blamed her red hair for her bad luck. The fiery strands had earned her nicknames like “Carrot Top” and “Matchstick” growing up, but now they just served as a reminder that she couldn’t blend in—no matter how much she wanted to. Living in a cramped apartment above a thrift shop, she’d spent years scraping…

She doesn’t remember the exact moment it happened, but she remembers when her mother slowly, yet surely, stopped allowing her to be in her arms. She must have been about three or four years old when the warm embraces became less frequent, the affection more distant. Maybe her mother didn’t mean to shut her out;…

This illustration was done by Kristi Coghlan who is our writer, Karina Coghlan’s mother. Two hands and a nose press up against the window pane, trying to get a better look at the storm outside. The moon’s glow and the twinkle of stars are hidden behind dense rain clouds. Only the light from the house,…

One wintery morning in early March, I bumped into a handsome guy while walking my golden retriever, Honey. The caramel latte I was carrying in my hand spilled all over the new light pink coat my grandmother gave me for Christmas. The guy blushed and said, “Sorry, I didn’t see you there. My name is…

It’s an early morning in January, and I’m sitting in front of my fireplace, drinking a warm mug filled with hot chocolate and toasted marshmallows, thinking about how wonderful the winter months are. Snowflakes are falling outside, the Christmas festivities are over, and the scent of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies in the oven awaits…

The air smelled of fresh rain and blooming hibiscus as Elena walked down Calle Sol, the cobblestone street glistening under the faint glow of the early morning sun. It was Valentine’s Day, but she didn’t feel the usual flutter of hearts and red roses. She felt… hollow. A year ago, this day had been a…

One beautiful snowy morning in December, shortly before Christmas, Grace was listening to Frank Sinatra’s Christmas album and baking chocolate chip cookies in her kitchen when suddenly, she heard a loud knock on her front door. She opened the door to find a small family of Christmas carolers singing “Christmas Time Is Here” from the…

Adrean’s changed behavior raised eyebrows within his family as well as his community.  He hung around with known thugs, and he also banked classes, and sometimes, he would miss school. His parents were worried but got absorbed and overwhelmed by family businesses. His older sister tried talking to him and wanted to find out if…

Central Park blinked awake in lights of red and green, the early December air painting the horizon. A dusting of snow scattered on the busy sidewalks and roadways; forecasted to grow several feet over the next couple of days from the human on the television screen. As the snow simmered down, I watched out my…

Lettie woke up to a gloomy, misty, and cold morning. Despite the unpleasant weather, it was a school day, and she had to jump out of bed and get ready. Her parents woke up 15 minutes later and prepared for work. Before leaving, they gave Lettie her transport fee, citing the bad weather as the…