For the Hope of It All (Merrymount #1)

by Ila Sikorski

You just never know who is on the end of your invisible string, you know?

I need to unpack. I need to grocery shop. I need a fucking job. But first, I need coffee.

She’s that first rush of cold when you get into the water on a hot summer day. She’s a song you haven’t heard in years but remember every lyric to, no matter how much time has passed. She’s spotting a doe with her babies,

getting to peacefully watch them from a distance in a clearing. She’s the calm quiet in the early mornings.

feel a small pang in my chest, the one that only makes itself known when I’m caught off guard by a father and daughter together. But, just like every time, it’s quickly replaced with a warming sensation, knowing there’s a little girl out there whose dad loves her very much. I’ll always want that for everyone.

I hate how shaken up I still get just because of a fucking thunderstorm. It’s such a stupid fear I’ve carried throughout my entire life.