Precious Keepsakes

Vic sits at the kitchen table writing her morning note, pen moving in soft strokes across the paper. She tucks the folded note into Anna’s backpack, playful and light, before Anna slips out the door. Mid-afternoon Vic can’t find her charger and heads for Anna’s room. She pulls open a drawer, then stops cold. Inside lie every note she has ever written, stacked and saved. Anna walks in and sees what Vic has found. She explains that after losing her birth mother she keeps the notes close, afraid she might lose Vic too. Vic moves to her, wraps her in a firm hug, promises she isn’t going anywhere. The embrace tightens. Their lips brush, meant as comfort, but lingers. Vic pulls back, startled by the spark she felt. Anna’s eyes stay steady. She whispers that she liked it and wants them closer than ever.