Title: Glass Memories

Type: One-shot

Genre: Romance, Slight Angst

-

It’s winter now, the icy wind throws itself at these stained cinderblock walls but to no avail; a wall works both ways.

Almost a year has passed since I last spoke with Irene, a year already.

No, I’m sure it was yesterday, a Tueday.

I never did like Tuesdays.

I remember where we met.

In the subway. She was the last one to board on the crowded train. I stood up as the wheels began to creak, glancing at her as I did so and nodding ever so slightly towards the empty seat.

She laughed and called me a gentlemen, tucking those few strands of light brown-colored hair behind her ear. Her nails were painted pink. Light pink, like pastel pink peonies.

The mass of people gradually thinned out as we neared the end of the route, until she and I were the only ones left in there. We sat awkwardly next to each other, Irene twirling her wavy hair and me fiddling with the sleeves of my shirt.

I don’t know why I didn’t get up and move.

* * *

The second time I met her was in a coffee shop, preplanned. She ordered coffee. French vanilla, I think.

We talked for a long time. Too long.

It was a year and a half later that we were sitting on a brick wall. The fourth of July, watching the fireworks. I pulled out a box wrapped in newspaper and tied with orange twine. Irene didn’t mind in the least, told me she preferred it that way.

I wish she’d never opened it.

Blushing, I asked her what she thought of it, that simple gold band that I slipped onto her finger.

It matched her hair.

She just smiled and kissed me in response.

The wedding was beautiful.

No, she was beautiful.

She had donned her mother’s white dress and a small silver crown atop of her hair, a tint of bright color on her cheeks. The silver necklace I gave her for her birthday hung around her neck.

Noticing my bright red ears, she giggled and asked me if I wasn’t too embarrassed to kiss her in front of our friends and family.

I replied that no, that was in fact, the best kis