A/N: So, this is a little thingamajig I wrote for school once upon a time. We had to write a story using one of the provided sentences, and this was born. Enjoy.

Looking at the photo again made me remember how much things have changed. Not one for breaking down for the umpteenth time today, I gently placed the black-framed photo back onto her pillow.

I wasn't sure if it was the heat of the day or the lack of sleep or the combination of the two, but I found myself slowly setting myself down into our bed, feeling my body sinking into the mattress as I did so. Our bed. It hasn't been our bed for months.

But still, after six months, that smell, that same vanilla and cinnamon aroma of hers still lingered in the sheets. I could never find it in me to wash that sweet smell away. Besides, it was just too strong – an all too powerful trigger – to be forgotten like that. I know that if I were to accept the situation and clean the covers, my mind would take over and I would ultimately begin to imagine her smell and everything else for that matter: I would hear her light giggles, feel her warm embraces and– No. I said I would not let myself do this.

I shut my eyes tightly, attempting to rid my mind of that feeling of defeat and hopelessness. After a moment or two, I let my eyes flutter open and chanced a glance at the frame that lay unmoving on her pillow. I inwardly scolded myself for having such thoughts as I thought back to the most amazing day of my life and the words we had shared with each other,

"…in sickness and in health…"

I whispered, unfazed as tears pooled at the corners of my eyes. I turned my head to look back at the ceiling, fighting back the need to let go of those unshed tears. I released a shaky breath and closed my eyes once more.

The sun was still out, but had now passed its peak in the sky. The warm beams peeked through the curtains, scattering throughout the room. With my eyes still closed, I felt a sense of contentment as I felt the summer breeze flow through, instantly triggering an old yet vivid memory.

We were only sixteen. I was sitting on the see-saw on my lonesome at the neighbourhood park. Well, not entirely. I had frequent visits to our local park with my little brother, Jaxon. I always felt kind of like a loser when we went because of the lack of people my age. Young kids littered the area, running around with an unlimited amount of energy pumping through their tiny bodies whilst mothers sat and relaxed on the nearby benches, some sitting by the pond on the opposite side of the park under the shade of some trees.

I was exhausted after being chased by all of the little ones, being dubbed the 'great dragon'. The 'knights' had me surrounded with my back pressing up against the ladder to the slippery-dip. Out of breath, I finally gave in and waved my white flag, "You win! You win! The dragon is now dead!" I dramatically fell to the ground as the small crowd of kids cheered and rejoiced, flailing their imaginary swords in the air.

After they scattered off in search of a new game, I slowly got to my now sore feet and looked for any available seats. The benches were already taken by the mothers responsible of the knights in shining armour so I opted for the vacant, worn out see-saw.

The sun began to set, signifying the end of another successful day of being the greatest sibling of all time. Having the orders of getting home before dark by the wardens, I scanned the park for Jaxon. That's when I first laid my eyes on her.

It was weird; as a regular at that park, I'd never seen her around and I seldom caught kids my age hanging around a park like this one. It was as if I was thinking too loud because not even five seconds later, I saw her staring right back at me.

I found her standing near the pond with ducks huddled close to her feet. A smile crept onto her face (the one that I would come to love). She shredded the remaining of her the bread slice in her hands and fed it to the ducks before she gently shooed them out of her way before she slowly walked up to me.

Since she was so far away, I didn't get the chance to really look at her. As she approached, I noticed a few things. For starters, she had such grace and poise in her stride. I've never seen anyone like her. She had a lean body, no doubt the body of a dancer. The smile that she wore had broken out into a solid grin and I couldn't help the tug I felt at the corner of my lips. She had fair skin with a freckle here and there and wore a pale green sundress with some– I didn't realise I had begun to giggle; she was barefoot.

"What?" She lightly laughed as she moved her attention to her feet, wriggling them into the soft grass. She was only a few feet away from me now, looking back at me with a sort of lopsided grin that seemed just as genuine as her smile, and– there was just something about this girl.

My head shot up at the sound of her voice the second the sound filled my ears. That's when I first saw her face. Framed by softly curled, golden locks, that spilled loosely onto her shoulders was a face so incredibly beautiful and gorgeous and stunning and all those other lovely words that would describe one with the image of a goddess. She had the deepest set of blue eyes I've ever seen that I was so entranced, I was completely oblivious to how much time had passed in silence.

She shook her head, letting out a soft giggle. I was snapped out of my daze only to be presented with her hand sticking out in between us. I slowly reached out and got hold of her hand. There was just something about this girl. I shook it with a growing smile. With that smile of hers never wavering, she offered, "I'm Brittany."