Chapter 3 Seated at one of the small round tables at Heavenly Grinds, Rachel with her favorite Cherry Cordial Double Latte and Lauren with a double shot of espresso, the two friends shared an order of chocolate biscotti. “Mmmm,” Lauren moaned in pleasure. “How can something that tastes so sinful be good for you?” “‘Cause they’re fat-free, sugar-free and low sodium, silly.” Rachel responded laughingly. “It’s the heavenly part of Heavenly Grinds – no guilt.” “How did you ever find this place, a...

Chapter 2 When the alarm went off, Rachel was tempted to hit the snooze, possibly multiple times, and go back to sleep. Sleep had not come easy last night because she was missing the twins so much. She had run to the grocery store to pick up some milk after discovering that Todd had polished it off before he left, putting the empty jug back in the fridge, of course. When she returned, she saw the blinking light on the answering machine and listened to their cheerful voices letting her know th...

Chapter 2 When the alarm went off, Rachel was tempted to hit the snooze, possibly multiple times, and go back to sleep. Sleep had not come easy, both because of missing the twins and because of the excitement of the upcoming voyage. Of course, a quick excursion to the grocery store and not catching the twins’ call when they reached the hotel hadn’t exactly helped. She’d tried to call them back several times but they weren’t in their room and it finally grew too late to disturb them. She hoped...

Why must I apologize for being White, for being Anglo/Saxon, for being Protestant. WASP is what I am. Why must I apologize for being “cracker,” for being “gringo,” for being “paleface,” for simply being, WASP is what I am. Why am I to blame for what my ancestors have done to yours? Trail of Tears, Manifest Destiny, Executive Order 9066, Slavery. WASP is what I am. My father’s nappy African hair, My sister’s almond-shaped Asian eyes, My niece’s dark Hispanic beauty, My stubborn straight hair a...

Chapter 1 Rachel called up the stairs, “Todd! Taylor! Hurry up! The van’s packed and ready to go! If you’re going to make the hotel before it’s too late to check in , you two need to get a move on.” Almost before she finished speaking, they came hurtling down the stairs. “We’re ready…” Todd started. “…to leave,” his twin finished breathlessly. Rachel chuckled. “Will you ever let him finish a sentence, Taylor?” “Why should I…” she began. “…when I always finish hers,” he completed laughingly. “...

Run for Life Prologue I was ready for the last class of the school day to be over, so I could go pick up the twins at day care, walk them home and get dinner started. What should I fix them tonight? I need to fix something they like but that will keep well for Daddy. What time is Daddy likely to come home? It was quite late the last few nights and he hadn’t even seen the twins before I put them to bed. How will I explain his continued absence to them tonight? They’re getting more and more res...

Run for Life Prologue I was ready for school to be over. Paying attention was hard for me some days. Today was one of them and I glanced out the window to see if it was still raining. Chin on my fist, I daydreamed about sunny weather, my mind drifting off towards the field where I’d once played with my friends. Racing around, chasing each other… “Rachel………Rachel………Rachel Lightfoot!!!” I jumped about a foot when her grating voice came from immediately behind me. “Yes, Miss Tuttle?” “I’ve alrea...