20 stories
לילות נתניה | Netanya Nights
An elderly Holocaust survivor and his caretaker from the Philippines find unexpected love on the cliffs of Netanya.
The Almond Blossom
Every spring, the almond orchards bloom in the hills of Sebastia—and every spring, Haneen returns to her grandfather's farm, where caretaker Ziad waits with more than just flowers.
The Citrus Grove
When Lama returns to restore her grandparents' abandoned citrus grove near Jaffa, she finds caretaker Mahmoud has kept more than just the trees alive.
The Fig Tree Inheritance
Maya inherits an ancient fig tree from her grandmother—along with caretaker Amin, whose devotion to the tree extends unexpectedly to its new owner.
The Home Health Aide Heat
Lorraine cares for Mrs. Chen's husband during his recovery. When Mrs. Chen passes unexpectedly, she stays to help—and discovers healing takes many forms.
The Midwife's Miracle
Helen has delivered a thousand babies but never had her own. When a grateful father becomes more than a client, she discovers some miracles happen after the delivery.
The Social Worker's Surrender
Angela saves everyone but herself. When a single father she's been helping turns the tables, she learns that sometimes the helper needs to be held.
The Writer's Block
Novelist Amira hasn't written in two years. When she retreats to a Bradford cottage and meets Zain—the caretaker with his own creative past—she finds inspiration in unexpected places.
Tooting Temptress
Nurse Blessing works the night shift at St George's. When patient Marcus recovers enough to go home, she offers him some very personal aftercare.
Riverside Plaza Secrets
Everyone in Riverside Plaza knows Hawa—the thick ebony divorced Somali woman who runs the informal daycare. When he needs childcare advice for his niece, she offers private consultations. Some lessons are for adults only.
The Somali Daycare Provider
She runs an unlicensed daycare in her Riverside Plaza apartment—a thick ebony divorced woman who mothers the whole community. When his sister needs emergency childcare, he discovers her other services. Some care is just for adults.
The Somali Mosque Caretaker
She cleans the mosque on Franklin Avenue—a thick ebony widow who's been caring for the community space for decades. When he volunteers to help, she shows him corners of the mosque no one else sees. Some devotion happens in private.
Burco Blues
Burco is Somaliland's livestock capital. When he visits to see his father's camel herds, the thick widow who manages the family compound shows him how hospitality works in the countryside. Some traditions are very hands-on.
Baada ya Jumu'ah
The old mosque caretaker dies, leaving his thick widow in the quarters. He volunteers to help. What happens after Friday prayers stays between them and Allah.
Bedside Manner
He's recovering from surgery. His home nurse is attentive, thorough, and very hands-on with his care.
House Call
He's recovering from surgery. She's his home nurse. He can't move, can't resist, can barely speak—and she knows it. Some bedside manner isn't in the training manual.
Tohara
The traditional circumcision ceremony requires a seclusion period. The thick village woman assigned to care for the young men during their healing has her own lessons to teach. About manhood. About women. About everything.
The Island Caretaker
A storm strands him on a private island. The only other person is the caretaker—a widow who's been alone for years. Three days until rescue. Three nights of shelter.
Bibi's Secret
Sent to care for his ailing grandmother, he discovers she's not as frail as the family believes. Bibi has secrets—and appetites—that span sixty-seven years.
Yaya
Wife abroad for six months. Children young but sleeping by seven. The thick nanny was hired to care for them—but after bedtime, she cares for someone else entirely. Every night, for six months.