Love

Possibly Maybe
I sit in our room waiting for the nurse to come grab me. There is a sense of déjà vu looming over me as the scrubs they gave me hang loosely over my jeans and my t-shirt. The slip covers on my shoes make it difficult to keep my feet planted underneath me with the slick tile floors. It is a miracle I haven’t slipped and hurt myself. Not like it will make much of a difference. I am in a hospital surrounded by dozens upon dozens of trained medical professionals.
By Gunnar Andersonabout a year ago in Fiction
Comfortable with uncertainty
The sky had the look of something undecided — neither stormy nor clear. Just… waiting. Anaya stood at the edge of the pier, a worn envelope in her coat pocket and no plan for what came next. Behind her was the life she had always known: spreadsheets, morning routines, polite smiles, predictable weekends. In front of her was the sea, gray and open, echoing the question she had avoided for years: What if everything I built isn't what I wanted?
By IHTISHAM UL HAQabout a year ago in Fiction
And I remembered
I see you, your shoulders hunched and your eyes pointed towards my feet. I imagine you have things to say - I know I do as well - but I can’t help but be reminded of that same posture three years before.
By Emily McGuffabout a year ago in Fiction
Courage
The second first time? A concept I had never thought of. Until now. It had been a little over five years since his passing. Someone who impacted my life in a way I had never expected. To say it was the best relationship in my life would be a misconception of what actually was. It was, however a time of growth and awareness. He was someone I knew from my childhood and as faith would have it, our paths had crossed again. It was beautiful at moments but tumultuous on many counts. His passing was unexpected and transformatively impactful.
By Lillian Casianoabout a year ago in Fiction
Another hit of you. Runner-Up in The Second First Time Challenge.
There you are. Floating. The world fades away in the backdrop, the way everything does in your presence. And just like that, everything I carried—the missing, the hurt, the nights I couldn’t breathe—just vanished.
By Daniel Kabout a year ago in Fiction
Lost, again.. Runner-Up in The Second First Time Challenge.
“We’re lost, aren’t we?” Marlene said. “Define lost.” She didn’t so much laugh as breathe heavy out the nose. “Do you know where we are?”
By Bernard Bleskeabout a year ago in Fiction
Second Chance At First Love
Life simply did not go according to plan for Marilyn. She watched jealousy as others passed by, seeming to have it all. It was easier when her children were still at home, small and completely reliant on her to care for them. She was too busy to notice the emptiness that lurked deep down inside. But they had grown up and moved on, now busy chasing their own children, living their own lives hundreds of miles away. Now Marilyn’s life had devolved into the mindless monotony of scanning other people's purchases for eight hours before diving into take out while watching reruns of old sitcoms on TV. Both in the store and on the screen, Marilym watched others live the life she never had. She often felt it was fitting how the yellow fluorescent lights overhead washed out her features, making her look ordinary and plain, just another forgettable face.
By A. J. Schoenfeldabout a year ago in Fiction
Bride and Groom. Runner-Up in The Second First Time Challenge.
Bride and groom. She did this first, of course, and she walks with me now. I’m wearing the most comfortable suit I’ve ever owned. I was prepared for it to be less than perfect - a pinch too tight around the chest, perhaps; maybe trousers too long because of the waistband sitting a little lower on my hips. But it’s like I’m wearing pyjamas, soft and warm against the autumn air. A contrast waistcoat for a little flair, and a coordinating burgundy tie that my oldest friend bought me for the occasion.
By Kay Knightingabout a year ago in Fiction
Whispers Between Raindrops
The city wore its rain like a whispered secret — soft, unassuming, yet impossible to ignore once you tuned in. The steady rhythm of droplets fell over sidewalks and rooftops, painting everything with a subtle sheen, a reflective glow that softened the sharp edges of the world.
By Ghaniabout a year ago in Fiction
Seven Years. Runner-Up in The Second First Time Challenge. Content Warning.
You press the door closed behind you, soft and final. Even after all this time, you still don't want it to be heard. The air smells like birch and chicken cooking. Instead of the chill of danger, the warmth of safety has wrapped around you.
By Autumn Stewabout a year ago in Fiction
Points in Our Lives. Content Warning.
It started again with a wedding. Not ours, god no— we were much too young, although we wished the best for our friend Cristie settling down at 24. No, we were both guests, sitting at different tables, the sounds of chatter and cheer drowning out any potential awkward silences.
By Reid Christmannabout a year ago in Fiction
The Ghost Bride.
By An Ocean Which Time Forgot... Beneath a sky bleached silver by sorrow, the seashore gently cherishes a dream in RED. The tide sings of time slipped through trembling fingers, its salt heavy with memory. Seafoam clings to the jagged rocks like the hem of the bridal gown never worn in full joy.
By Antoni De'Leonabout a year ago in Fiction