Alternatives

The sun came out just in time for the surprise. She appeared around a cliff as we scrambled with putting straws in drinks and synchronizing song. She smiled that contagious smile of hers and we knew we'd done well. Summer lay like a picnic blanket over the city as we sat with our food and our giggles on the top of the hill overlooking it all. The water sparkled that way it does that makes you think somebody paid it, a canon went off, Stockholm spread out below us like it was in on the celebrations.

The night continued in a rush of mad rambles and misplaced lipgloss. Of dancing on the upholstery, of serenades and unabashed laughter. If the next 30 sees me with you people, I'll be fine, she said, and we couldn't picture a future where it was not so.

I came home inebriated, dizzy, the night gets dark now; I forget what it's like. The lights were out on the church, and it loomed sadly with just its clock faces alive.

The scene seemed to be telling me something. I don't want to know, what it was.