Annie’s brows drew together at the unfamiliar word in her third-grade history lesson. She swiveled from her screen to face her mother.

“What are doctors?”

“They were people specially trained to care for sick people.”

Annie was still perplexed. “What’s sick?”

Her mom patted the place next to her on the sofa. “Come here, and I’ll explain it to you.”

With her daughter settled in, she began.

“Do you remember when all your goldfish died?”

“Yeah. Goldilocks …

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An excerpt from Worthy.

“Breakfast ready? Bacon smells good!” Mark finished buttoning his shirt and joined Linda at the kitchen table.

“I Googled funding for my clinic, but I didn’t find what I was looking for,” Linda said, filling their mugs with steaming coffee. “There has to be something out there for me!” She banged her fist on …

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Like all children, I looked forward to July and August. It was a magical time I daydreamed about through the winter months.

Summer was a time of endless possibilities. No school, no deadlines, no stress.  The dreaded alarm clock was banished to the night table drawer. With no homework due, no papers to be written, and no tests looming, all that lay ahead was fun and relaxation. The hardest decision each …

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