Benefield, Hannah2021-09-082021-09-082021-01-16http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11868/2275In this collection of short stories, four women's lives intersect at the local doctor's office situated in a small Pennsylvanian town near the Great Lakes. Cheryl grapples with her feelings for a handsome stranger who visits their office with mysterious back pain. When life feels out of control for Sarah, she copes by creating a world she can control in the VirtualLyfe video game. Alicia navigates a weekend away with her siblings as old habits and hurts resurface at the family cabin. When Billie learns a secret that threatens to tear her family apart, she must choose between two wrongs to make it right. There are no easy answers, and the choices made will force these four women to confront the truth about themselves.en-USLiterary FictionPlace-based fictionPennsylvaniaFemale leadShort storiesThesis