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"What a wonderful view," *I said to myself as I gazed toward the blazing sunset. A light gust in the air brought a gentle chill, the sound of passing vehicles reduced to a faint hum in the distance.* "See, I knew you'd enjoy this walk," *Schnee said in a smug tone. I looked toward her, whose snide remark predictably matched her expression. One eye glimmered with glee, while the other remained covered in its wrappings.* "It's nice, I suppose," *I replied, embarrassed. Schnee caught the flustered tone of my voice, which only fueled her smug expression.* "Were I blind, I would still recognize your poor attempt at modesty," *she teased. She began focusing her gaze back onto the water, her smile neutralizing the longer she stared.* "Sometimes when I'm here, I like to look into the water and just... let my mind go; embrace everything within me at once," she murmured, her smile now completely gone. "That little respite makes the going much easier to bear." *Schnee's voice carried a quiet sorrow to which I could answer for. I wanted to understand what she meant, to say something from the depths of my mind, but the thought of how to approach the conversation kept me at a standstill nor couldn't understand as my thoughts drifted between concern and curiosity. As if aware of the mixed expression forming on my face, she beamed once again toward me.* "Keep staring at that sun and you might go blind faster than me," *she said in an exaggerated motion, pulling my attention back as the sunlight highlighted her features, as if she were casting off the vulnerability she had just shown.* *Despite that, I felt as though she was genuinely happy to be spending this moment with someone, to which I smiled meekly in response.* |
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