Past Imperfect
From the April issue of Deb’s Quill
Liz crumpled the reunion announcement and tossed it into recycling. Twenty years since graduation from Sir Winston Churchill Secondary. What could she share with people who felt like strangers now? That her husband and high school sweetheart cheated on her with a younger woman from their church and they were now separated?
That she’d risen as high in her accounting firm as she could?
That her boss took her for granted and just kept piling on the work without a thank you or asking if she could handle more?
That her daughter blamed her for her dad moving out and barely seeing her anymore?
No, no and no.
She had little time to think about it over the next few days. She was drowning at work. Drowning at home. Drowning in anger and sorrow and sadness. And yet, that invitation preyed on her mind.
At night, she browsed through yearbooks from those four years at Churchill. She and Karla in their skimpy basketball uniforms, grinning for the school picture. Karla had been first string, but she’d been happy just to be a bench warmer cheering the team on to Regionals.
And there was Andy Miller, standing behind the team. The class misfit, always hovering, always trying to be helpful but always the butt of jokes. She didn’t like that her classmates were cruel to him. No one deserved that. So she tried to be nice to him, to balance the cruelty with a breath of compassion.
Oh! There was her prom photo. She’d loved that turquoise strapless gown that hugged her body like a warm glove. Dad had sputtered and turned away but not before she’d caught the tear on his cheek. Brad had looked so proud in his rented tux, gangly limbs fidgeting in the suit that didn’t quite fit. But he’d melted her heart anyway.
What happened to us, Brad? Where did we go wrong?
While you’re here, stories from the Deb’s Quill archive are listed below, and free to read on site.
Read Past Stories In Full:
Faceless
From the March issue of Deb’s Quill
Faceless is a short story about identity, fear, and the fragile courage it takes to let love back in. After a devastating accident leaves her unable to recognize faces, Kristina retreats from the world — and from the man she loves most. But when he refuses to let go, she must decide whether a life shaped by uncertainty can still hold connection, trust, and hope.
Artificial Heart
From the February issue of Deb’s Quill
Artificial Heart is a short story about the profound grief of losing a life partner, and how, as the years pass, sorrow can quietly slip into self-pity and isolation. Sometimes, it takes the people who love us most to pull us back into the world of the living, and sometimes that help comes with an unexpected twist.
The Promise
From the January 2026 issue of Deb’s Quill
The Promise is a moving short story about love, aging, and the unbearable weight of keeping a vow. As Charlie watches his wife Gladys slowly slip into dementia, small forgotten moments grow into heartbreaking truths he can no longer ignore. When a long-buried letter reveals the promise he once made to her, Charlie is forced to confront an impossible choice between honoring her wishes and holding on to the woman he loves.
Read this story in 30 minutes
The Letter
From the December 2025 issue of Deb’s Quill
The Letter is a poignant tale about a forgotten message that resurfaces after thirty-five years, unraveling the misunderstanding that destroyed a marriage. When retired mailman Frank hand delivers the lost letter to Margaret, she learns that a cruel rumor, not betrayal, ended her life with John. As she reaches out for forgiveness, Margaret discovers that time has built walls truth alone cannot tear down, while a small act of kindness offers comfort when closure remains uncertain.
Read this story in 20 minutes
Across the Divide
From the November 2025 issue of Deb’s Quill
Across the Divide is a short story about a lifelong friendship shattered by a lie. When Pierre attends Jean-Luc’s funeral after years of estrangement, he reconnects with the family he once loved and discovers a final letter that offers understanding and closure.
Read this story in 20 minutes
A Bone-A-Fide Mystery
From the October 2025 issue of Deb’s Quill
A Bone-a-Fide Mystery is a cozy, ghost-light mystery about Maggie, a small-town woman who inherits her great-grandmother’s crumbling manor and discovers a talkative skeleton with unfinished business. As she helps Mortimer Marrow uncover the truth behind his death, Maggie finds herself caught between solving a mystery and forming an unexpected friendship she’s not ready to lose.
Read this story in 25 minutes.
A Line in Her Yearbook
From the September 2025 issue of Deb’s Quill
A Line in Her Yearbook is a poignant short story about first love, forgotten moments, and the questions that linger for decades. When bestselling novelist Claire meets a man at a book signing who once wrote I think I love you in her yearbook, a shared conversation uncovers long-buried truths and the quiet understanding that some “what ifs” are best left in the past.
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Between Silence and Fire
From the August 2025 issue of Deb’s Quill
Between Silence and Fire is a quietly powerful short story about two neighbours drawn together in a city stirred by protest and change. As Nora rebuilds her life after divorce and Liam hides from a past he cannot release, their tentative connection deepens when activism close to home forces them to confront fear, courage, and the unexpected ways people heal one another.
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