Sharon Cothron

Message in A Notebook

I got $20,000 by burning down my mom’s house. We weren’t always on the best terms. Three weeks ago was the first time in six years I’d heard her voice. She sounded thin and quiet, a stark difference from the nasal siren that made every muscle in my abdomen clench when she’d call my name to come do something. Her last husband had kicked me out eight years ago, and made her choose between me or him seven years ago. That last phone call six years ago started with tears, and ended with apologies after she explained that he’d leave her homeless if she didn’t completely cut me off.