The Summerset Review

"Becoming"

by Jennifer Bryan

Denise followed him through the backdoor into the kitchen, where he put on water for tea. She sat at the table, her hands clasped. It was their mother's table and flowered, fabric tablecloth. A canning jar held wildflowers Samuel had picked from Woodstock Town Forest, which backed the property. Denise pulled a yellow flower free and plucked the petals into a small pile. She wanted to blurt out why she had come. She was becoming a pig, having already spouted a little pink tail, plucking wiry hairs from her ears, and she needed to move in with him because she didn't know when she wouldn't be able to take care of herself.

The Summerset Review, Spring 2014