Anochecere

The scraping sound of the match, the crackling and toxic smell of plastic comfort me as I light the photo. Candles scent the air in the kitchen with a mix of lavender and roses as I watch Joaquim's beautiful countenance decompose and burn into tar, then turn to dark, powdery ash. Pictures of him are strewn all over the floor: Joaquim snorkeling on our honeymoon in Hawaii, Joaquim accepting an award, Joaquim in his college dorm. I breathe on the flame, encouraging it to seep through the glossy paper. Hot, red and orange specks dance through gray sand, melting everything in sight. I'm careful not to let any part of Joaquim fly away. I collect

"Isn't this the perfect gift for her?" Mother gestured to the elephantine soft toy seal, rattling on animatedly about how her daughter would praise her for having such great taste in soft toys. "Not another soft toy..." Father murmured an inaudible remark under his breath. "She already has enough stuffed animals in her room! Besides, for the past fifteen years, friends and relative alike have been giving her those dust-collecting items," he replied, furrowing his eyebrows in annoyance. Carianne who was fiddling with key chains at a corner could not help but stifle a giggle at the sight of the couple bickering. Her parents were always having