us, who is facing the word ‘end,’

we’re standing still in front of it,

and couldn’t take a step,

this parting that was unlikely to come to us,

in no time, it’s in front of our eyes.

—

Eric couldn’t remember when exactly was the first time he had fallen in love — perhaps in middle school, or in high school, or maybe even in college; he wasn’t quite sure, but he could remember exactly what it felt like to fall in love with somebody.

It was strange the way human’s relationships worked. To be placed among millions of people, came across with thousands, get acquainted with hundreds, fell in love with a few only to find your way to the one, then to eventually leave with no one but yourself.

He could remembered exactly the moment he had fallen in love with her though. When she had came out of that dressing room, flowers crown in her hair as if she wasn’t already the prettiest woman he had ever seen; her laughter spilled easily out of as her face grew crimson red at his unwavering stare. He was in love. Hell was he deep, deep in love with her — cameras recording, directors sending different signals to production crews and all, he didn’t care, he just thought he was the luckiest man alive that day they pretended to get married.

He made it a point to always get her flowers since then. Sometimes a rose, sometimes a bouquet of flowers he had absolutely no clues of its meanings, sometimes her favourite flowers just so he could see that pretty smile on her face over and over again. When she asked why, his only response was just because. Truth was, back then, she was like a flower herself, but who was he kidding; he would have either got smacked with that flower or he’d smacked himself first before she would if he ever said that out loud.

But what he didn’t quite expect was to have their entire relationship became a resemblance of flower itself: pure and mesmerising at first it was, then gradually wilting away. The only thing left at the end of the day would be dull, lifeless petals: an unpleasant reminiscent of what was once so beautiful.