Stephen Baily

Stephen Baily has published short fiction in some thirty-five journals. He's also the author of ten plays and three novels, including "Markus Klyner, MD, FBI," which is available as a Kindle e-book. He lives in France.

The Shoelace

On the father’s eightieth birthday, he tells his oldest son he wants to celebrate it in a funeral parlor. There are the usual expatiations and songs and food and drink, but alone in the chapel, the father reveals to the son how his mother really died.