UNKNOWN

Is where you are the last stop or the next step?

These ten short stories explore the paths, and the inevitable detours, of later life - the loss and longing, unexpected passions

and unfinished business, setbacks and second chances, that pave the way from where we have been to where we might yet be.

A romantic resides with two brothers with big plans. Fifty years later, a first love defines a life. A marriage is put to the test when retirement plans go astray. A widow is aroused by a younger version of her husband. A scholar pens a blog to bemoan a failed romance. Lifelong secrets between old friends prove fatal. A long dead mother materializes as a bizarre vision. Revenge is the goal after a ghosted first date. At her husband's funeral, his wife reconsiders her marriage. A retiree forced to downsize faces outsider status among new neighbors.

Randy Kraft is a former journalist and marketing/communications professional dedicated to writing fiction. She is also a book reviewer and an occasional lecturer on literature. She has previously published three novels and a collection of stories. A second collection will be published October 2025. She holds a masters in writing and a bachelor's degree in English/literature.