W. A. Schwartz

W. A. Schwartz is a physician and mother in Northern California. She studied literature at UCD and creative writing at Stanford and recently completed her first novel, Eden.

Autumn

There’s something wrong with my hands. Lately, I’ve taken to squeezing them into fists—grasping at something—at the most peculiar times. When I’m checking out at the grocery store. Facetiming my daughter who is away at college. Making love to my husband. My thumbs ache and I’ve noticed the knuckles on my right swell to the size of cumquats in the morning. When that happens, I hide my hand.