Under Rose-Tainted Skies

by Louise Gornall

It’s never made sense to me, how I can crave fresh air and be so afraid of it simultaneously. Dr. Reeves tells me it’s not supposed to make sense. She says a study at her former hospital revealed more people were afraid of public speaking than of dying. Imagine that. A bunch of well-educated folks believing that talking out loud for ten minutes is more frightening than falling asleep for forever. The brain is basically an evil dictator.

The door clicks shut, and I wonder if I can buy a lobotomy on eBay.

But I guess rarity is what makes a perfect moment perfect.

“This might sound odd, but I can’t wish he were any different, you know? Like, I can’t start wishing away pieces of his personality, because then he wouldn’t be my dad.”