Warning: This short story is wild. It's dark (but not without humor). It's a ghost story (of sorts), about jealousy, obsession, addiction, FOMO, exes, weddings, stalking, haunting, yet ultimately about love, forgiveness, and letting go. It has also (excitingly) been optioned for film! (Though I shouldn't talk about that yet...*claps hand over mouth*) My agent has described it as "Lord of the Rings meets A Christmas Carol." I think it's probably the best thing I've written to date. Image created by my talented partner, Eric, who was also a first reader/editor for the piece.
"They Could Have Been Yours" was first published in The Missouri Review (2022) and reprinted as "Classic Fiction" in Apex (2023). The recording is me (Joy Deva Baglio) reading the story, and you can also read it on my website, and read an interview of me discussing it! I hope you enjoy!