At night she dances to their favorite song, imagining his fingers interlocked with hers, his arm sweeping around her waist. Her hips aren’t what they used to be and her movements are slow, but the music guides her sweetly, her memories of him filling in every space between the beats.

Ran Walker is the author of 26 books, the latest of which is Black Marker: A Novel in 100-Word Stories. He teaches creative writing at Hampton University and lives in Virginia with his wife and daughter.