Celia

“Hi, I’m Colin.” He held his hand out to me, and I stared at it uncertainly.

I wanted to jump on him, wrap my legs around him, and kiss him until he fell on the lawn. But I held myself back, unsure, with my hands in the back pockets of my jeans. I couldn’t do this, could I?

“Celia.” I looked around, uncertain, but with an ache to be in his arms that I could barely control.

“I’d like to take you to dinner. Somewhere out of town, if you’d like.”

“That might be nice.” I readjusted the bag slung over my shoulder and looked around. Nobody noticed us. Nobody whispered, they just went about their business and didn’t care. “Maybe somewhere with milkshakes?”

“I know a place that makes the best peanut butter milkshakes you’ve ever had,” he replied, a grin on his face. He’d lost weight, and there were dark circles under his eyes, but in the gray depths, I saw hope. A plea for forgiveness.

Something in me twisted, and my face followed suit. He rushed to me, took me in his arms, and held me t