The Husband Stitch

If you read this story out loud, please use the following voices: Me: as a child, high-pitched, forgettable; as a woman, the same. The boy who will grow into a man, and be my spouse: robust with his own good fortune. My father: Like your father, or the man you wish was your father. My son: as a small child, gentle, rounded with the faintest of lisps; as a man, like my husband. All other women: interchangeable with my own. This short story was originally published in the literary magazine Granta and later collected in the short story collection <i>Her Body and Other Parties</i>. Available to read for free from: https://granta.com/the-husband-stitch/ (The website might be inaccessible from some countries.)