My dad was out of town and it had been a while since I (twenty-three) spent some time alone with my mom, so I figured I would go over for a visit. Walking home from the train station in the pouring rain was a definite downer on a nice idea though. But my mom would love the little gifts I'd brought, and I was looking forward to having some girl talk about boys and my boyfriend with her again. Deciding to surprise her, I le...

With the hot water running down her body, Scarlett could finally begin to unwind a little. As usual, her university had planned intense exams just before the Christmas holidays; but that was now behind her. She squeezed some shampoo out of the bottle and started massaging it into her hair. David, her boyfriend, would soon be home as well. His parents had let her into the house and were now picking him up at the airport. T...