To Love in the Past Tense

Imagine what happens when . . .

. . . a widow spots another woman, a stranger, putting flowers on her husband's grave.

. . . a boy genius climbs out his bedroom window to follow his cat to see where it goes at night.

. . . a lonely, depressed young woman encounters a silverback gorilla in her backyard at night.

. . . a joyful Dalmatian that bites forces a boy and his father to uncover family secrets.

. . . the Loma Prieta earthquake catapults a fading grandmother, documentary-making daughter, and rebellious granddaughter to Africa, where they can no longer ignore one another.

. . . an in-home cutlery sales pitch by a lovely young woman slices away years of deceit.

The short stories in To Love in the Past Tense offer some possible answers.