denial

Stepmom, Son, a Love Motel with a Gift Basket

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Stepmom, Son, a Love Motel  Amanda didn’t want to believe in fate, but she did want to believe in family. A quick look at the course her life had taken might tempt a person to view events through a fateful lens. Married at 19, widowed with his two kids by the time she was 23, … Read more

Family Christmas gets hot as cousins make an impromptu deal

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I had mixed feelings about spending the traditional Christmas at the Parnell family cabin this year. Sure, it was tradition and a chance to see some of the extended family — aunts, uncles, cousins, Grandma Parnell, and a bunch of my cousins’ kids whose names I couldn’t remember. The weather was usually snowy, which turned … Read more