Wire Mother
ShortStory 3,180 words Recommended by 4 award/anthology sources
"Your mom loves you,” Cassie’s father says. They’re in an elevator. They only ever talk about Cassie’s mom in elevators, or when they go hiking and Cassie’s father leaves his watch at home. Cassie doesn’t know if her mom actually doesn’t listen, then, or if she’s got some sort of secret microphone in Dad’s clothes..."
Content warnings 4
abusesexual-violencesubstance-usesuicide
Quasar links out; the story lives on Clarkesworld, where the author gets the click.