Things We Carry

In these three novellas, children navigate profound changes that reshape their families and their understanding of the world. A young boy finds meaning through soccer as his mother's illness and death transforms their family's rhythms. In Bogotá, a girl discovers her mother's sewing machine can speak, revealing protective magic woven into their clothes as they plan a daring escape. And in a story that blends reality with wonder, two siblings unlock the mystery of their grandmother's hidden identity through a dimensional window above their kitchen door.

Each tale explores how objects carry memory and meaning: a red soccer scarf that holds a mother's passion for the game, a Singer sewing machine that whispers ancient secrets, and paintings that bridge two worlds. Through loss, discovery, and transformation, these stories remind us that what we carry — whether physical objects or intangible legacies - shapes who we become.

Written with tender insight and touched with magical realism, these interconnected stories explore how families adapt, survive, and find new ways of belonging in the face of profound change. Each novella offers a unique window into the resilience of children and the enduring bonds that hold families together across time, distance, and transformation.