eautiful Morning
he tiny kitchen floor. The smell of fried eggs, baked bread, and fresh tomatoes fill
ggs in a pan while Mum tries to stop Mia from dipping a biscuit into the jar of honey. Grandma hums a hy
ds gently, placing two extr
l," I say wit
ir," Grand
You need energy to carry all those h
ight. I look around at the table-this vibrant mess of love
n't be here to
I push the yam around on my plate, p
udges me. "Alora,
one f
" Mum
she's made of glass no
'm not dying today. So stop worrying
and leans
urns, but I feel the cr
-
t door with my work bag over my shoulder.
and on the
ar slips do
r. Mayb
dbye to a world th
before I can
upposed to leave," Kira says,
oulder. "I was just
"Well, stop it. Your face gets puf
Sorry, Mis
street toward the library, the s
you finish that fant
ls in love with the girl, but le
ed it, a
I hate endin
"Some endings are just
nd. I'm too a
-
otes dancing in its path. Kira leaves after lunch, and I spend the afternoon org
e world outside dims. By
desk and pull my
orn, the edges frayed
to a bl
ne
ready a ghost-smiling, walking,
t. But today, I made a promise to myself: I will live. I'll
n l
ially
e next page
ISH
o won't love me back. So I don't
e my ow
mething
meone unde
verything I feel, e
e first item,
even find a
oor c
p, st
ll shadow silhouetted by
and stand. "Good eve
slowly and walks
-
ht. The customer leaves. I
turns and reading a page of my
ean to fa
-
rk. The old library
one i
grip
and rush to lock up. The town s
key in th
ic
I f
street... under the fl
anding. Still
-
cont