By Gianni Shamari Copyright ©2026 When I get to Vika’s apartment block, the golden dusk of Thanksgiving is still visible. The corridor fills with the smell of rain, fresh laundry, and the delicious promise of roasted turkey and spiced pies coming from inside the rooms. As I reach for the knock my phone vibrates in my hand. Vika: “You’re here, right?” A smile pulls at my lips. Me: “I’m outside your door.” A moment later, the lock clicks, and Vika opens the door slowly and care

By Jenny Swift Copyright ©2026 The weather was beginning to change; the residents of Boston were welcoming the cold. The steam rising from Elian’s coffee cup seemed to dance against the fogged-up glass of the small café in Beacon Hill, Boston. It was late November. Outside, the streets decorated with pumpkins announced that Thanksgiving had arrived. For Elian, however, the calendar meant nothing special. He was an astronomer and university professor; his time was almost alw

By Jonathan Peters Copyright ©2026 Part One Chapter One What possible reason can I use to say hello? We’d been stuck on the tarmac in Peru for over an hour. Our only interaction was the quick glance we gave one another after I confronted the kid kicking the back of my chair. It was one of amusement. And something else. Something still hidden from me. I was preoccupied with thoughts of him when the plane landed in Cusco. It was eleven at night, and I was exhausted from a full