She was tired of the worry, the sentimentality and guilt. She’d always doted on them, extolling their virtues, overlooking flaws. But her treasured memories weren’t reciprocated in their lifeless eyes and silent indifference. Still, letting go filled her with paralyzing ambivalence—until she heard the auctioneer’s appraisal and said, “Sell!”

Kathy Lynn Carroll is a freelance writer living in Connecticut, where she is also a part time library assistant. Her fiction and journalism has appeared in a variety of publications over the years. Most recently her work has appeared in The First Line.