In “Abraham’s Wing Watcher Adventure,” Jennifer Ochstein makes a case that’s as old as the domestication of animals, namely that a dog can be a more loyal companion than one’s fickle and unpredictable spouse.

In “Old Story, with Slight Variations” Binh Nguyen presents a meditation on the loyalty of memory, as he reflects on the effect his mother and grandmother had on his life, in particular regarding the issues around his immigration from Vietnam.  Despite the loss of these two important women, his recollections are themselves a form of fidelity.

Clarity Bast’s “Stay” is also about fidelity to one’s mother, but in her case the relationship is a bit more problematic, because her mother is one of those difficult people who flits in and out of our lives, but who ultimately must command our loyalty.

Finally, “My Other Self,” by Ben Campbell, centers on the false loyalty of mistaken identity.  How do you deal with the forced fidelity of strangers who think that you are someone you are not?