Circle Games

Nicky is heavily pregnant and should be looking forward to a new home life, but her mother-in-law has other plans. Ethan's plans do not involve his mother—until he's expecting his second child, and things come full circle. Alec is playing at hating his neighbor's extreme Christmas decorations, up until the moment love strikes and changes all the rules. A young dad's impatient care transforms to grace once he allows himself into his small daughter's game. The instinct to make rivals, the urge to reach out to others—these competing claims are the center of these 19 rich stories that probe fantasies of power, control, and revenge.