Page 94 of The Secret to Belonging

he places his hand

above your cupboard door

presses tenderly

you open

and

he kisses you

NI (NINE)

you don’t hear from Alison

you assume she made it safely back to Rome

you know she can take care of herself

or thinks she can

some women explore their power through sex

writes Maura

she’s testing boundaries

sexual

moral

you got caught in the cross fire

one day she’ll want to make amends

you recognize the language of recovery

you’re not interested

Alison can go to hell

but you’ve fantasized

about what an amends from your brother might look like

how does one atone for a lifetime of devastation?

sorrow and anger

are easier

when you’re in love

the new year unfurls

you fall back into a rhythm with Espen

movies