my careless contagion

"Run away with me," she whispered. And so began their journey together. They ran away in their hearts with one another, into the wilds of whatever is beyond the ordinary. They breathed air that was rare and alive and saw sights reserved for only them. They were in love, and they were free. Those moments were so precious they seemed stolen. Those moments changed their whole lives because they basked in the afterglow of what was and simmered in the anticipation of what was to come. It was infinite, wide open, with no constraints. Their world changed when they fell in love, and when she whispered to him, "Run away with me."  They couldn't run far because they had lives and responsibilities. But the love for one another that coursed through their veins put a shine on everything, making the ordinary more beautiful and wild. She would drive away with kisses in her hair and on her neck and he could sense the lingering smell of her perfume on his fingers and lips. As re...

I'm an author. It's official. It's not a best-seller. I published one book — literally one book. Call it a limited run. It's definitely a limited edition copy. The person who now owns the book is the one named in the title. And, yes, that's a picture of the book cover (minus my name). There is another book by this title out there. I'd like to say they stole the title from me, but I fear it's the other way around. I started working on the book in July, finished it, and sent the pdfs to the printer, which shipped me the book in August. I planned to send it to the girl on her birthday, and thankfully that worked out. Needless to say, it was hard to hold onto it for such a long time. And, after it was clear our relationship was over a long time ago, I still wanted her to have it. Now it functions as a memorial of what we had. Or, at least, what I had, and still have in my heart for her. No, I wasn't trying to win her back. I wasn't trying to do anyt...