In Bloom

by Paul Tremblay

domoic acids,

She suspects he has a crush on her. The word crush, instead of something like has feelings for, is purposeful, making the situation seem less fraught, easier to continue ignoring,

I remember so many of those car rides, me in the back seat, him glaring at me in the rearview mirror, which was only large enough to reflect his disappointed eyes.

stanchions

he didn’t agree with the call, but he would never yell at an umpire; his Catholic version of baseball included unquestioned authority.

I moved forward, stuck in the molasses of a dream.

sanded away any rough edges of my disbelief.

lumpen,

Ahab,