*Madelyn*
Unbelievably weary, I walk through the garden in the moonlight, with the occasional gaslight illuminating my way. I had forgotten how Beth can wear me down. For a while, I feared her excitement wouldn’t calm down enough for her to fall asleep. But eventually, she closes her eyes, and soon after, she ceases her prattling. Growing up, we shared a bed, and it always amazed me that Beth would fall asleep talking and immediately upon waking, begin speaking again. Sometimes she even completed a sentence or thought from the night before.
I also forgot how delightful it is to sing. With no audience, I stopped lifting my voice in song. Only tonight did I realize that I am audience enough. I come to a startled halt at the sight of the shadowy figure sitting on a bench near the roses. “Br
