The miles skidded underneath the car till I stopped at the spot of my dark transformation. The door creaked an old familiar song as I stepped out into the sand. The scenery was a panoramic view of still deep cobalt blue mountains against a light azure sky. A child’s giggle broke the silence as I looked to see a young girl with ash blonde hair running from her father. He caught her, scooped her up in his arms, and hugged her close. The wind...

“Hello, Carolina.” His speech had that same perfect vernacular. My name rung in my ears and I almost backed out. My hand was on the doorknob behind me holding on for dear life. Shards of pain radiated from the doorknob poking into the small of my back. “Come here, Carolina, have a seat.” He motioned with his eyes to the empty seat. He hands reached for the table, but only his fingertips touched the edge. Pensively, I sat down, placed my palms...

The show was over, the balloons had risen, and the landscape was a dull brown with floating toys above us. The surprise was gone, the package opened, but it was a beautiful sight forever burned into memory. We walked back to his motorcycle and I picked up the helmet with duct tape crisscrossed against the visor. “You’ll have to take it off if you want to see.” He got on his motorcycle and revved it up. Guess the   romantic moment just...