urges

a memory. A self-deprecating smile touched my lips, thin and bitter. I reme

nity back in college. For years, he was a co

His response had been immediate, accompanied by that

utiful woman I've ev

rsistence, had worn down my resistance. I hadn't made it e

care. He wai

oasted bagel in the other. He knew my cycle, the exact dates, better than I did. Before I

st a fleeting look. Days later, he presented it to me, having w

frenzy. He' d rack his brain, telling the most ridiculous jo

Ava? Are you feeling unwell?" he'd ask, his voice laced with genuine concern. His love, back then, felt like a w