Five Minutes explores five minutes of a life in one hundred words. Five minutes is edited by Susanna Baird, with editorial support from managing editor Maria s. picone, newsletter editor kate meen, and founding reader bobbi lerman, plus our rotating team of guest readers, who you can meet in the latest newsletteR. Five Minutes was founded in October 2020, with the Salem (Mass.)-based writing group Carrot Cake Writers supplying the journal’s first pieces. We’d love to read your five. Submit here

Socks

I’m folding laundry by the bed where my dying mother lies. I try to think of a light topic we can discuss, an anecdote to share. My brother sits nearby, dissociating thanks to TikTok. Tripping over her tongue tumor, my mom croaks out a few words. “You fold socks the right way, Emily,” she manages. “Tommy and Dad do it the wrong way.” I fake a laugh. At least she’s not criticizing me for once, but I still hurt for the boys, who are too numb to hurt for themselves. My therapist’s reminder echoes: People die the way they live.

Emily Hessney Lynch is a freelance social media strategist who writes short stories. She lives in Rochester with her husband and their two rescue dogs. Find Emily on Twitter and Instagram @EHL_writes.

Frayed Tape

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