If He Had Been with Me

by Laura Nowlin

Winter is a blur of white and cold hands shoved in pockets.

Spring is a painting in pale green,

Every moment we spent in silence was like another brick in the wall going up between us.

Somehow we weren’t friends anymore. It wasn’t a choice. Not really.

It was the sort of happiness that fools you into thinking that there is still so much more, maybe even enough to laugh forever.

Sometimes I am disappointed with love. I thought that when you were in love, it would always be right there, staring you in the face, reminding you every moment that you love this person. It seems that it isn’t always like that.

I want to pull Finny out of my mind like a splinter so that I can adore Jamie the way he deserves to be adored.

Just because something seems impossible doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try.