JEANNIE

I was making blueberry muffins yesterday. I love blueberry muffins because I can have blue food without needing to find where Frank hid the dye this time. Any meal loses its monochrome nature when you can put a blueberry muffin on the table. Frank likes banana better, but there is nothing but brown unless you sneak in some zucchini, which of course Frank hates.

I was mixing the batter when I felt someone in the kitchen with me. They hadn't walked in because I would have heard the doors. I put the bowl down, and turned.

It was Tony. Just standing there and smiling at me.

"You're a figment. Stop torturing me," I told him.

He shook his head slowly, still smiling.

"What do you want from me?" I demanded. My mind was full of white rooms and couch doctors and hazy memories. I do not ever want to go back to that.

He stepped forward, determined. I clung to the counter on either side of me. He reached forward and cradled my face in his hands.

"I... I can feel you," I wondered. "I can feel your touch!"

"Feel this," he murmured, and he kissed me. I could not remember the last time Frank kissed me like that. I wanted...

But when I opened my eyes again, I was alone in the kitchen.

I turned back to the bowl and added the salt of my tears to the muffins.  ¶ 12:15 PM