Page 17 of Hot Girls Date Shifters

Getting hard.

Growing cold.

I was afraid of settling for a life I didn’t want. Forgetting how to hope.

Forty isn't nearly as far away as it used to seem.

Some mornings I notice the tiny lines beginning around my eyes.

Some days I wonder if my person is still out there.

If maybe I somehow missed him while I was stuck in conference rooms and airport security lines.

But then, I think about Moon & Mug.

About Mrs. Donnelly's smile.

About Maya’s fresh flowers every Monday.

About the little girl who hugged me this afternoon because I'd found the exact fantasy novel she'd been looking for.

Maybe life isn't running behind schedule.

Maybe it's finally right on time.

A breeze stirs through the trees, catching the hem of my long cotton dress and swirling it gently around my calves.

The fabric brushes against my skin, cool and soft after the warmth of the day.

I hug my short-sleeved cardigan a little tighter around myself and keep walking.

A patch of wildflowers catches my eye.

Tiny white blossoms mixed with purple ones I don't know the names of.

Moonlight kisses their petals until they almost glow.

“Oh...”

I crouch beside them, smiling.

“You're beautiful.”

I wonder if anyone else stops to notice them.

Probably not.

I make a mental note to come back tomorrow with my camera.

The thought makes me unexpectedly happy.

Little moments.

Little joys.

That's what I'm collecting these days.

Not promotions.