THE MOTHER

A mother's love is everything. And a mother will do anything to protect her own.

I see the message: A teenage boy from Port Rainier has been airlifted to Harbor Hill Hospital. Critical injuries. My heart crawls up my throat and I grip the table. Lost for words. Tears fill my eyes. Ezra? I already lost my husband to a tragic accident. I can't lose my son, too. I call Ezra again, not wanting to believe the worst. That he hasn't picked up because he's the boy in hospital. I race back to our house. Ezra's in his room playing video games. His phone died. Relief washes through me. He's okay. Actually, it turns out the boy in the hospital is Ezra's childhood friend. He was attacked and left for dead out on the clay fields. The next day I go down to the basement to do laundry. I know my stains. This is no ordinary stain. It's blood. My teenage son's dark denim blue jeans size 31x34, caked in orange clay and dark red blood. Is my son a killer? Anya Mora lives a ferry ride from Seattle. She's a wildly sentimental mother of five in a love affair with hot yoga, positive affirmations, and to-do lists. She unabashedly uses emojis and wears her heart on her sleeve. Her novels, while leaning toward the dark, ultimately reflect light, courage, and her innate belief that love rewards the brave.