– He wore torment like a red velvet cape.

A familiar sense of frustration and self-deprecation crept upon me, strengthening the loneliness of grief.

Edith Gettes has worked as a violinist, teacher, and psychiatrist, as well as mother of four daughters. She has lectured about learning, trauma, and motherhood at several international conferences. In addition to writing for musical and medical journals, her story “Banana Bread” appeared in the Personal Story Publishing Project’s fall 2023 publication, Sooner or Later. Edith currently lives, works, plays, and writes in Asheville, North Carolina, where she is a member of the Flatiron Writers Room and NC Writers Network.