saccharine

It was still strange.

Colors seemed brighter, songs sounded nicer, and sugar tasted sweeter. The very thought of coming back to someone who was happy to see her made her heart soar in a way she wouldn’t have thought possible before this. Suddenly, though her pain wasn’t erased or wiped away, not even close, it was just a little bit easier to deal with.

Somewhere along the way, she knew these fresh feelings would die down, and they would settle into a routine with each other. Things would become normal, and they would just exist in each other’s company. At least, that’s what the wisdom of others told her. And, well, that sounded just fine to her, too. For every hiccup, every minor argument, that still sounded like how she wanted to spend her life. Maybe she was thinking way too far ahead, after all it hadn’t been too terribly long, but she couldn’t help herself. It had been a long time since she figured she even had a future to think about.

For now, she figured she would enjoy the world as it was through these rose-colored, heart-shaped glasses.

In her arms, she carried a box, the same shade of pink as strawberry jelly beans with cupcakes visible inside in shades of cherry red, vanilla white and raspberry magenta. On top of that, was stacked a bag of the most sugary candy she could find. He liked sweet things, so that’s what she would give.

And yet, she still worried that she was coming on too strong. To her, it almost felt like she wasn’t doing enough, but what she felt most certainly wasn’t what others felt. But it was hard to come up with a gesture that fully showcased what this actually meant to her. A feeling without word or expression, but one she felt in every beating in her chest and every breath she took.

She paused to wonder when she had become such a pile of saccharine goo. Sister would have some fun words for her if and when she ever found out about this, that was for sure. But, what sister didn’t know wouldn’t kill her, would it? She’d tell her when she was good and ready to tell her.

No, let’s not think about her. Eyes on the prize.

The prize who was almost certainly going to be put off by how forward this was, but she needed to express this somehow. If she didn’t, she might burst into a puff of confectioner’s sugar and confetti.