Théodora Armstrong - Clear Skies, No Wind, 100% Visibility

An endless gratitude to my husband, Jason O’Malley — my confidant, my abettor, my co-conspirator. Your love and faith are what keep me going. Since the beginning you have been my ally at the other end of the table. Thank you for tirelessly reading every version of these stories over the past several years, and offering discerning and perceptive observations. These stories are better because of you.

And finally, to Willa, for reminding me what’s important. Thank you, my little love.

THÉODORA ARMSTRONG is a fiction writer, poet, and photographer. Her work has appeared in numerous literary magazines across the country such as Event , Prairie Fire , The Fiddlehead , Descant , The New Quarterly , and Contemporary Verse 2 . In 2008, she won a Western Magazine Award for Fiction, and her stories have been included in both The Journey Prize Anthology 20 and Coming Attractions 10 . Théodora lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with her husband and daughter. She is at work on her first novel.

Copyright © 2013 Théodora Armstrong

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Distribution of this electronic edition via the Internet or any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal. Please do not participate in electronic piracy of copyrighted material; purchase only authorized electronic editions. We appreciate your support of the author’s rights.

This edition published in 2013 by

House of Anansi Press Inc.

110 Spadina Avenue, Suite 801

Toronto, ON, M5V 2K4

Tel. 416-363-4343

Fax 416-363-1017

www.houseofanansi.com

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Armstrong, Théodora

Clear skies, no wind, 100% visibility / Théodora Armstrong.

Short stories.

ISBN 978-1-77089-240-8

I. Title.

PS8601.R5954C54 2013 C813’.6 C2012-905958-7

Cover design: Marijke Friesen

We acknowledge for their financial support of our publishing program

the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund.