Five 20-word love stories. (With special thanks to Abigail Thomas.)

             Dad always said, “I’m not taking care of her.”  He never knew I’d heard him every morning whispering, “Good dog.”

             The first words she said to me were, “You wanna get high?”  I should’ve run, but I couldn’t resist her.

             With six seconds left we knew it was over.  Ten of us hugged.  It was like we’d just entered heaven.

       The ice cream melted faster than we could eat it, and we laughed hysterically as it liquefied onto our bodies.

             The phone rang once.  All I said was hello.  The sound of my living voice triggered her uncontrollable crying.