On the eve of his 40th birthday, a man almost—but not quite—bumps into his high school girlfriend as they simultaneously enter and exit a suburban supermarket.

Over the next four and a half minutes, as Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” burbles through the store’s PA system, he relives the three serious relationships of his life: playful Danielle, his first love; troubled Franny, his former wife; and voracious Celia, his on-again, off-again fiancée. 

Ezra Palmer, author of “Catbirds” and “Handsome,” transforms a brief trip to the market into a witty and touching examination of the ways that life unfolds without our quite knowing how it happens. 

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Author: Ezra Palmer
Publication date: 2026