Treat

At that moment, everything was just right. The summer day was hot, but the sea breeze provided a coolness that kept the heat from becoming uncomfortable. The sun’s bright glimmer on the waves, a few seagulls circling lazily above, a small white sailboat in the distance… perfect. That day, the warm rock in front of the island’s coast guard station seemed like the best place in the whole world to be. There was only one thing, and she just couldn’t let it be…1

“I ate your Snickers bar.” she said. He turned his gaze from the sailboat to her, expressionless. “The one you left on the table, with your keys.” He said nothing, just turned back to watch the boat, or maybe the horizon. “I’m sorry, ok? Look, I’ll buy you ano…”2

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“Amber.” he interrupted, turning to her. Now he was wearing that weary smile of his. “I’m allergic to peanuts.”4

It took her several second to process the meaning of the words. Then she answered his smile with a much bigger one of her own, and they returned to watching the small, white boat sail past. And somehow, everything was much better than it had been.5

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