Blackout

The narrator of this story, Nella, is stomping out a fire when a girl walks into the Althea House senior center with her dog. Nella does not realize she is ogling the girl, Joss, until her buzzing phone jolts her back to reality. Mimi, the director of enrichment, announces to the seniors that the card game that sparked a fire is over.

Joss introduces herself and her dog, Ziggy, to Nella and tells her that her Grandpop Ike is her favorite resident. Nella realizes that Joss has lived up to her Grandpop’s description of Joss as pretty, sweet, and smart. Joss is the reason Nella avoids visiting him on Tuesdays, for fear of falling in love with another girl only to get rejected.

Nella flops onto the couch and listens as some of the seniors argue with one another; many of them have been cranky ever since the power went out. Nella explains to Joss that the seniors were playing cards in a room full of candles when things got heated and someone threw their cards, which caught on fire.

The group moves into the living room, where Joss begins playing piano. As she plays, Nella gets another text from Bree, who has heard about the