Constance Zimmer

As she spent another hour in the tub,

doing none of these things, it seemed as though the emptiness gave her space to breathe, to fill, however she wanted to fill it.

And so, eventually, she pulled herself together, making a kind of life for herself in that small town.

She missed the snakes, especially Hector.

though she had to admit it was easier to move freely without them, buying groceries, attending protests, playing mahjong with some of the older women down the street.

Everyone had stories about the girls they'd been.

Bright, impulsive, sexy, adventurous.

When it was her turn to tell, she only said with a hint of pride, Oh, me?

I had a temper.