Author name: Mathew Haden

The first time I tasted a slice of bread that had been frozen for three months and somehow still tasted […]

The first time I saw the study, I laughed out loud. Not because it was funny—but because it felt almost

The first time Milo stopped at the end of the driveway, Jenna laughed. “Come on, bud,” she chirped, giving the

The leash is already in your hand when you notice it—that tiny hesitation where there used to be a joyful

The first thing you notice is the sound. Not the harsh, electric whine of a dental drill or the crinkling

The year 2026 doesn’t arrive with a bang so much as a hum—a low, electric buzz that seems to live

The kettle sat quietly in the corner of the kitchen, a little chalky crescent of white clinging stubbornly to the

The first time you notice it, it’s almost nothing—a faint little crinkle near the corner of your eye when you

The water is always hottest at dawn in Elaine’s little cottage at the edge of the marsh. Steam snakes up

By the time the third tiny foil packet of “premium organic catnip” hit the bottom of my shopping basket, I

The clock blinks 2:57 p.m. You’re staring at your screen, eyes a little grainy, brain a little foggy, when it

The pharmacist paused, pen hovering above the white prescription bag, and lowered her voice just a little, as if the

The first time I heard someone call it “diabetic birdseed,” I almost laughed. It was a rainy Tuesday in a

The first time I tasted it, I thought someone had made a mistake. How could anything this bright, this tender,

The first time I watched someone make pancakes without butter, I was convinced disaster was about to strike. There was

The year 2026 glimmers on the horizon like loose coins at the bottom of a fountain — close enough to

The first thing you notice is the sound. Not the beeps of the scanner or the soft thud of groceries

The first thing you notice isn’t the sound, but the feeling. A thin ribbon of cold air is pouring over

The first time I poured this humble pantry staple into the washing machine, I did it with the kind of

The email landed like a pebble in a still pond: “Important tax law changes for 2025 – please review.” Most

The moment it hits you is rarely dramatic. Sometimes, it’s on a Tuesday afternoon in the supermarket, staring too long