Branches: a collection of fiction

I first began this collection of fiction with the intention of having the stories tie together. Ultimately that didn't happen; however, these stories are all connected in a way because most of the characters and circumstances are from my own life. In these stories I attempt not only to portray a few days in the life of a character, but also focus on the time just after an event or a crisis has taken place. Most of my stories take place after a death, a breakdown, or the unearthing of a previously unknown truth or secret. It is during this aftermath I attempt to explore the elements of surprise and beauty in my character's thoughts and actions.