“Tree limbs boasted fresh baby buds and smiled at the brush strokes spread across the sky.”

“A thin yellow curtain hung in front of the corner window as boney tree limbs tapped on the glass like an unwelcome visitor. Despite the tiny buds on the trees outside, the branch at this particular window was still bare.”

“There are no words for the sight of a smiling face.”

“She sat on the stoop alone, gazing up at an infinite sky as it held her and pushed her away all at once.”

“In a brief, surreal moment, she could see the young man he used to be in his smile.”

“She inhaled deep breaths filled with salty air and watched the moon cast streaks across the rippling river, unable to determine in which direction it flowed or where it went, but suddenly curious about it for the first time.”

“She smiled, not because she felt confident that she could think of a solution, but for the gratitude that she wasn’t quite so alone in her pursuit.”