Three Simple Words. 

On the first day there was a simple note in the mail box. Slanted cursive words written in black, smudges at the loops and of letters, specks and blots of ink scattered in the margins. Three simple words.

I'm watching you.

Jessica showed the note to her sister Sinb. Her face bent into anger. 'I'll kill the bastard,' She growled.

Jessica said, 'I don't know who it's from.'

'Doesn't matter,' she spat, the rage curling her fingers into fists. The letter began to crumble. 'I'll absolutely slaughter the bastard!'

Jessica carefully pulled the paper from her balled hands. 'He could mean it in a nice way.'

Sinb eyes shot to her sharply. 'What? How can he on you in a nice way? By the way, how you know is He? Maybe she?'

'He or She might not be ing on me,' said Jessica. She smoothed the crinkles out of the letter. 'He or She might have seen me on the street and thought I was pretty.'

Sinb rolled her eyes. 'Yeah, right.'

Jessica’s face fell. She dropped her eyes to the floor.

Her sister noticed and said quickly, 'You're pretty, Jess, I just meant most guys wouldn't do something like this.' She nodded to the letter. 'If she'd thought you were hot she'd have went up to you, asked you out. Not done something sleazy like putting a stalker note in your mailbox.'

'Maybe he's or she’s shy,' Jessica said softly. The curls and curves of the words were gentle and inviting and familiar. 'Maybe she or he was nervous.'

Sinb scoffed. 'Yeah, and maybe she’s or he's a .'

Jessica sighed. She folded the note and slid it into her pocket.

The next day there was another note and a freshly picked daisy. The petals were straight and stiff with life, freshly picked and smelling of dirt. Black ink words on the paper made her smile.

I saw you.

Jessica didn't show this note to her sister. She folded it into her diary, with the other on the page before. Two notes in two days. It made her smile, bite her lip and look at the ground. She sat in the living room at the window, sunlight warming her bare knees, a book open on her lap. Jessica looked out at the mailbox and then the street