“Living Room” by Merrijane Rice

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One dark brown leather armchair from the scratch-and-dent department, weathered and coming apart at seams hidden strategically behind a cushion.

Two cream-colored sofas (not exactly the same shade) acquired at different times in different moods, both long enough to accommodate sleeping bodies stretched fully from head to toe.

Another armchair (overstuffed) inherited from parents, covered in slate-blue chenille, and a large ottoman in matching slipcover, designated as seating for the resident dog, currently speckled with bits of cut grass.

Tiffany-style mission lamp in alabaster tones with sea-green accents set on a round-topped mahogany end table, glowing over a porcelain figure of Jesus made by my mother-in-law 30 years ago at a Relief Society craft night.

Standing desk in the corner where my oldest son pecks at the family computer, shifting random school notes and opened mail as he maneuvers the mouse,

and near him lies a patchwork quilt bound in bright yellow that Grandma made for his now dissolved marriage, folded in such a way that I can gradually repair missed stitches and damage sustained from being too long put in storage.

This piece was published in 2025 as part of the 14th Annual Lit Blitz by the Mormon Lit Lab. Sign up for our newsletter for future updates.