Orbits. (Original writing)

An orbit, by definition, is the path of a body in a field of force surrounding another body. All of the characters in these stories gravitate toward certain bodies and resist others. Some choose to change their orbits. As Ellen gravitates toward her mother and step-father in Orbits, she both resists and aggravates her father's ambiguous endeavors to connect with her. As the daughter of an alcoholic mother, Linda tries to keep her family together in Steering. In Me and Romeo, Julia's attraction to Romeo and his raw honesty helps to ease the guilt she feels about her sister's death. And Ann spins out of orbit in Unfathomed when her attempts to feign a mental illness become a reality. Ultimately, these character's inextricable ties to those they love, no matter how tenuous these ties may appear, are revealed. None of these characters acts alone, for their attractions and loyalties are the forces which keep them spinning in orbit.