Inlay

Think of cherry smoke curling and crawling in white tendrils from a skinny chimney as a fat trout sizzles and spits—tonight’s dinner. Think of fingers clacking a keyboard, mom muttering to herself, her face lit with a bluish glow and forehead scrunched in concentration. Think of the bitter roasted aroma of decaf drip coffee left too long on the burner, stale but still hot and ready for company because like pizza, like sex, all coffee is good coffee. Think of the kids yelling. Think of the grown-ups groaning. Think of the trout—the trout is good, but the spaghetti squash tastes like play-dough. Think of the day—it was defeats, altercations, frustrations, and food. Think of the good, the smoke, the clacking, the bitter, and yes even the spaghetti squash. --- T.L. Tomljanovic is a flash fiction writer from Vancouver, Canada. She is a Pushcart Prize, Best Small Fictions, and Best Microfiction nominee, a founding member of the Pride Roars writing collective, and judge for Off Topic Publishing’s monthly flash fiction and CNF contests. Find more of her work at tomljanovic.wordpress.com/