In the place of a loved memory lives another photo. She picked up the small photo frame that once sat on her windowsill; it belonged in front of a flowerbed of lavender, rosemary and honey bees. She gazed at the photo lovingly, but expressed a hint of melancholy in her smile. It was merely an unassuming photo of her as a little girl, celebrating her 4th birthday in the park. It was nothing but happy memories. So then, why did she feel so uneasy? What did she long for?
Her photo frame hid a secret. She couldn’t bear to remove the original image, because she hopes to go back to that time – to a season that was easier… and less lonely. The photo her friends see is only a placeholder, or a mask of sorts. No one but her knew the secret behind that happy childhood memory, and she intended to keep it that way.
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