You look great," he said. It made her smile, even if it was a lie. "I'm as big as a house." He laughed. "I like houses. In fact, I'm thinking about architecture as a career.

And no one drank just one shot of tequila.

Some stories don't have happy endings. Even love stories. Maybe especially love stories.

A daughter without her mother is a woman broken. It is a loss that turns to arthritis and settles deep into her bones.

I am such a Pacific Northwest girl.

It occurred to her suddenly, sharply, that she wanted to be in love... She wanted not to feel so damned alone in the world.

Whenever I write about motherhood - and I write about it a lot - I am drawing on my experiences as a mother and also my experiences as a daughter.