Inspired to write a short story every month of the year, Michael Ruiz imagines a wide variety of fiction filled with romance, ambiguity, and humor: an ambiguous relationship; a woman who lives happily ever after; a philanthropic mugger; a supermarket gumshoe; a galactic boot camp with humans; a kiss full of magic; a scorching hot softball game; a teenager who finds a powerful suit of armor; an awkward camping trip; a buried treasure; a meaningfully meaningless gift; and an exploding baby. The 2009 Short Story Collection includes all twelve stories that were written that year.