Nicely mixing just the right amount of humor into this tale of angst makes it a worthwhile read, as does her willingness to deal with less than ideal endings-highly admirable.

Five years after Janice's death, Mel finds herself in Venice among the canals and some of her happiest memories of Janice, but it only serves to illuminate her loss and the deadness she feels inside. As she walks along the boardwalk - wondering what made her think being there would make her feel better - she is graced with a gift of sorts. A serendipitous encounter that intervenes and proceeds to take her back through time, uncovering the deeply buried life she still holds within.

Vivian gifts us with evocative imagery and narrative that touches deeply into the very marrow of human bone. The past and present move in and out seamlessly, rhythmically, creating a full-bodied narrative that left me well sated long after the last line was read.

There's also something about this story that I find a bit magical, that leaves me feeling like I've witnessed a small miracle happening to an ordinary woman. As heroic as Janice and Mel have become for us as readers, it's a pleasant surprise to experience them as deeply human-and here they are nothing if not flesh and blood. If there were only one short story I could take with me from fan fiction, this would be it.