HeyJaredmarissa heady
My newest piece is IN BLOOM, the story of Braiden, a neurodivergent man learning how to grieve, love, and build a life that belongs to him. It's warm, tender, and funny. Come read, and grow alongside him!
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
- 13
- Latest publication
- Sep 26, 2026
- Audience
- Checking…
- Earliest in this view
- Aug 16, 2026
Latest issues
IN BLOOM (opens the original)
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Chapter 20 – SAFETY FIRST “Oh, Braiden. How do I explain this?”“I might understand if you give me a chance.”“Braiden, my stepdad did some bad things to me. He hurt me. You told Aunt Carly that I was not happy there and she asked me if I was safe. I told her the truth and now she is driving there to confront him. Everything is different now.”“In a good way?”“It depends on how you look at it. Bill won’t touch me anymore but my mom is going to be mad at me and it’s Bill’s house, so Mom will either
IN BLOOM (opens the original)
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Chapter 19 - THRIVE Carly opens the door. She screams with excitement. “BRAIDEN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? Why are you wearing Jess’s uniform?”She throws her arms around me and squeezes, rocking me back and forth.“It is mine.”“Excuse me?”“It is my shirt. I got a job. Tonight was my first night. I wash dishes.”She screams again. “BRAIDEN! THAT’S SO AWESOME! I’M SO PROUD OF YOU!”“Me too. And I have a phone and a girlfriend. We kissed naked and I am going to read about driving. We are going to g
IN BLOOM (opens the original)
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Chapter 18 – 401(K) We walk inside. It is dimmer in here than I remember. Anna shouts numbers at Jess and somehow she knows what that means. “Braiden! Come on back here, hon.”I follow Anna to the back of the store.“Don’t worry, Braiden. Everything is going to be just fine. See this big silver thing?”I nod.“This is your dishwasher. First, you are going to scrape food into this trash can. Then, pull this sprayer down and spray it until it’s clean. Last, you put the dishes in here. When it’s full,
IN BLOOM (opens the original)
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Chapter 17 – FRESH I open my eyes to the morning peeking in through the window. Sonic and Jess have kept me warm all night. I get up and make a pot of coffee. I sit and enjoy a cup. I usually do not because I get jittery, but today feels special. I make breakfast, bacon and scrambled eggs with toast and warm jelly. Grape. I wake Dad first and feed him in bed. He especially appreciates the coffee. I wake Ben. He praises the coffee too. I bring Jess’s breakfast into my room with me. I sit on the e
IN BLOOM (opens the original)
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Chapter 16 – GLASSES OF WORDS I knock on Dad’s door.“Yeah!”I open the door. “Dad, I got the job.”“That’s great, Braiden. When do you start?”I can feel Dad’s sadness. It feels like a cut without a Band-Aid, just bleeding out in the open. “I start tomorrow. Jess is spending the night.”“Okay.”“Okay.”I return to Jess and Ben. Jess is pouring three glasses of wine. She says we need to celebrate together. Ben tells Dad to come out and celebrate with us. &
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