Joy’s Lament
Her hands wouldn't stop shaking as she studied her face in her mirror. Gaunt, tired, and lonely, she barely recognized the women she was seeing. Raising her hand, she begins to drag the brush through her grey hair.
Laughter bubbled in her chest as she chased her best friend through the grass. He turned around to grab her, and they fell in a heap on top of each other. As her laughter died away, she looked deep into his eyes, a wide smile on her face.
He returned her piercing gaze. "Did you know you smile like you're gonna cry?"
As the brush snags a tangle in her hair, she winces and lets go of the brush, leaving it to dangle from her hair. A wrinkled, unsteady hand reaches for a comb to help free the brush.
She walked out of school to join the mass of preteens waiting for their parents. A hand brushed her shoulder, and she jumped, turning to see who had snuck up on her. He grinned at her annoyed expression, easily evading her unskilled slap in favor of kissing her on the cheek. She smiled at that, as she always did.
He brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "You always smile like you're going to cry."
Her breathing falters as she lowers the comb and frees the brush from her hair. Continuing to mechanically drag the brush through her lank, lifeless hair, she feels a lump form in her throat.
On the table in between them, a candle burned with a low, sultry flame. The shadows danced on his face where he sat across from her. The restaurant around them buzzed with the low hum of other conversations. When she looked away for a moment, he was gone, reappearing on one knee beside her hair. She gasped, covering her mouth with her hands as she barely heard his question as he presented a beautiful diamond ring to her.
A wild smile graced her features as she answered with a boisterous yes. As he slipped the ring onto her finger, he said, "You've always smiled like you're just about to cry."
Cordolium fills her eyes the longer she stares at her reflection. She feels the ghostly touch of his hand on her shoulder as she lowers the brush. Her eyes glisten with tears that want to be shed, but she is still unable to let them go.
He laid weakly in their bed, barely able to lift a hand to her. She crouched beside him, leaning to give him a kiss on quivering lips. His eyes half-lidded, he whispers to her small, broken smile, "You've never stopped smiling like you're about to cry. Don't stop even when I'm gone."
Her hands clasp the counter tightly as she forces herself to lift her head and look deep into her reflection. An elegiac smile spreads across her face, but this time, she cries, and she can't bring herself to stop.
Laughter bubbled in her chest as she chased her best friend through the grass. He turned around to grab her, and they fell in a heap on top of each other. As her laughter died away, she looked deep into his eyes, a wide smile on her face.
He returned her piercing gaze. "Did you know you smile like you're gonna cry?"
As the brush snags a tangle in her hair, she winces and lets go of the brush, leaving it to dangle from her hair. A wrinkled, unsteady hand reaches for a comb to help free the brush.
She walked out of school to join the mass of preteens waiting for their parents. A hand brushed her shoulder, and she jumped, turning to see who had snuck up on her. He grinned at her annoyed expression, easily evading her unskilled slap in favor of kissing her on the cheek. She smiled at that, as she always did.
He brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "You always smile like you're going to cry."
Her breathing falters as she lowers the comb and frees the brush from her hair. Continuing to mechanically drag the brush through her lank, lifeless hair, she feels a lump form in her throat.
On the table in between them, a candle burned with a low, sultry flame. The shadows danced on his face where he sat across from her. The restaurant around them buzzed with the low hum of other conversations. When she looked away for a moment, he was gone, reappearing on one knee beside her hair. She gasped, covering her mouth with her hands as she barely heard his question as he presented a beautiful diamond ring to her.
A wild smile graced her features as she answered with a boisterous yes. As he slipped the ring onto her finger, he said, "You've always smiled like you're just about to cry."
Cordolium fills her eyes the longer she stares at her reflection. She feels the ghostly touch of his hand on her shoulder as she lowers the brush. Her eyes glisten with tears that want to be shed, but she is still unable to let them go.
He laid weakly in their bed, barely able to lift a hand to her. She crouched beside him, leaning to give him a kiss on quivering lips. His eyes half-lidded, he whispers to her small, broken smile, "You've never stopped smiling like you're about to cry. Don't stop even when I'm gone."
Her hands clasp the counter tightly as she forces herself to lift her head and look deep into her reflection. An elegiac smile spreads across her face, but this time, she cries, and she can't bring herself to stop.
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