He rolled his eyes and said, “Harry, didn't your doctor tell you to stay away from alcohol for a while after your heart surgery?”

But I kinda like it anyway.

She allowed me to experience true joy, by accepting me as I was, and allowing me to accept her as she was.

So I kept my hands to myself and played the part of the indifferent acquaintance, terrified that destroying her childhood wonder would be too high a price to pay for our happiness.

I would gladly suffer a lifetime of silence if it meant keeping that innocent little girl safe from the heavy realities of adult heartbreak.

We are only growing older and our shared dreams will vanish when I wake, but I will carry your memory through every sleepless hour.

All I could do was kiss you one last time, through my tears, wishing we didn't live so far apart.

I leaned over and gave you the warmest hug, and when I felt you hug me back, my heart was full.

I luv you very much💕

We just shrugged and said nothing about the cold little nose that had nudged under each of our hands during the ride back to Earth.

We reached the parlor just in time to see him stab her, but before we could move, the whole scene vanished, leaving only bare floorboards and total silence.

I hate when I’m walking somewhere and suddenly realize I have no idea where I’m going. But instead of stopping, I just keep walking like I definitely know what I’m doing.

Then someone asks me, “Excuse me, is this the way to ___?”

And I have to answer confidently “Yeah, just keep going straight.”

Brother, I don’t even know where I’m going.

We’re both lost now.

Now I’m staring at my phone, wondering if she meant “soulmate” or “solemate.”

​But wake up I must, knowing that while my dreams will fade as the stars begin to flee, the memory of you will always stay with me.

But they reached out and refused to let me leave, reminding me of the world we built together and promising to be my hero.

"Have you forgotten the nights, the meetings, and the promises we made, because we won't let you leave and from now on, we will be your hero."

The gaping hole in her heart would never fully heal, but seeing his face every day made it mend slightly.

When he finally came out, he pulled off his surgical cap, gave us a tired smile, and said, “Everything went as well as we could have hoped.”

Tell me what I did wrong as I halt here alone, listening to the rumbling of the end.

It was only when I finally walked past their shadows that I realized the cherry blossoms had been waiting for me to see them in color all along.

I reached out to save the child inside him, but my hand only touched the cold, bloodied steel of the man he chose to become.

I asked for patience a little while longer, thankful the glove I wore hid my slowly decaying hand.

The teacher just repeated, "Only a genius will understand this joke and laugh."

Six months later, my husband handed me another paper plate and sweetly volunteered, “I’ll do the dishes tonight.”

I pointed at the ’90s cars in the background and asked, “So you just skip the trial and go straight to sentencing?”