10 stories
Café Cubano Forever | Café Cubano Para Siempre
A coffee ritual becomes the foundation of a lifelong love between two Cuban-American women
Sunrise Swim | Nado al Amanecer
Two early-morning swimmers find each other in the ocean as the sun rises
חצות במקווה | Mikveh Midnight
A secular woman goes to the mikveh before her wedding—and discovers the mikveh attendant has secrets of her own.
The Cleansing
An old tradition says a widow must be 'cleansed' before she can remarry. The village chooses the cleanser. This time, they choose her nephew.
The Henna Artist
The night before his wedding, the henna artist comes to prepare him. Her designs are intricate. Her preparations are thorough. Some traditions require more than just decorated hands.
The Offering
In Millbrook, there's a tradition: every new bride spends her wedding night with the mayor's wife first. To learn. To be prepared. Her husband waits downstairs while she's taught everything she needs to know.
The Coven
Lost in the woods on Halloween night, he stumbles upon a clearing where thirteen women conduct their annual ritual. The ceremony requires a male offering—not for sacrifice, but for something far more consuming.
The Matriarch
She's 68, massive, and rules the family with absolute authority. Every nephew who wants inheritance must 'pay respects' on their 25th birthday. His turn has come.
Every Sunday
It started at his wedding reception. Five years later, it hasn't stopped. Every Sunday, he visits for 'family dinner.' His wife helps in the kitchen. He helps her mother in the bedroom upstairs.
The Coffee Ceremony
The Ethiopian coffee ceremony takes hours. Three rounds. Each round more intimate than the last. By the third cup, she's offering more than coffee.