#204: Life

In the fire's glow, he could see Tracey hold sway. She was beautiful in any light. Her singlet curved her in ways that he couldn’t take his eyes off. He stood in the corner next to the lemon tree. Mosquitos orbited around him, with only the itch to remind him of their physical presence. He imagined broken hearts to feel similar, something he was yet to fully experience. As long as there was hope, his heart was yet to break.

Tracey paused her story, allowing Joshua into the circle. He slumped beside her, taking all the oxygen from her. As he watched her, she glanced at him, even though he was hidden in the shadows.

He wanted to approach her and tell her in no uncertain terms that he’d never overshadow her. He wanted to remind her of their time in art class a couple of years prior, when there was no Joshua. She would draw him as if he had been her muse. She captured something in his look that no one ever saw in him. There was a lyricism to his eyes, as if they could capture the essence of anything and give it life.