Disquiet

by Julia Leigh

Olivia leaves her abusive husband and returns to her mother's home with her two young children. Also in the house are her brother and his wife, Sophie, who have just suffered a stillbirth. Sophie continues to carry the dead baby like a doll, unable to bury her just yet. The family tries to mend past grievances and help Sophie deal with the death of her baby.

This is a very short story and could be easily read in one sitting. The main character is most often referred to as the woman (Olivia). There is little detail describing the trouble the woman and her mother have suffered in the past, other than her mother telling Olivia that she told her not to marry him (her husband). All in all, this is a family coming together to help each other heal old wounds and to help Sophie bury her baby.