Late Shift

by Teresa Tumminello Brader

You wake up in the deep darkness. Knowing what time it must be, you trace her movements with your mind’s eye. She locks the thick glass door of the late-night diner and strides to her car in the nearly empty parking lot. You stay awake to follow her up the three flights of stairs to her apartment. Not until you have envisioned her sliding the deadbolt into place do you fall back asleep. You hold your daughter’s image in your mind’s hand - to keep her safe.

6S

Teresa Tumminello Brader, author of Going Back to College, was born in New Orleans and lives in the area still. Her short fiction can be found at Rumble, The Flask Review and in upcoming issues of Long Story Short and Brink.