Leah stood on the wharf, looking out at the vast sea. With each breath, a new wave rolled onto the sand. The sun was setting, painting the sky with vibrant pinks and oranges. It was the kind of scene that Elliott liked to wax poetic about. In fact, he was doing so at that very moment, only Leah was far too wrapped up in her own thoughts to notice.
"Don't you find it lonely, Elliott?" Leah asked, her eyes trained on the water before her. "I think you're the only person in this town who knows the difference between prose and poetry."
Elliott chuckled. "Perhaps."
"We could leave. We could go out into the city. There'd be other poets and painters. We wouldn't feel so alone."
"Ah." Elliott frowned, kicking at a stray shell in the sand. "You've been talking to Kel again."
"I have not."
It was a lie, and they both knew it. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't help but respond to Kel's letters when he wrote. She always found herself reaching for a pen and scrawling a long reply, usually more heartfelt than she intended. Old flames, it seemed, died hard.
"Artists like us… we can't thrive in the city, Leah. It would suffocate us. We need somewhere we can breathe."
"You need somewhere you can breathe," Leah corrected. "Loads of other people go to the city. They host poetry readings, book launches, and art shows."
"Art shows?"
"It's when an artist or a group of artists display—"
"I know what it is!" Elliott interrupted. "I've just never heard you talk about wanting to host an art show before. I didn't know you wanted to."
Leah shifted from foot to foot, flushing. "Well, it's never really been an option, has it? I can't exactly do it here. Who would go?"
"Everyone would go. We could do it in the Community Centre—"
"The Community Centre? That place is falling to pieces!"
"We'll figure something out. Stay," Elliott said softly, pleading. "Just stay a while longer."
But Leah did not seem cheered. Instead of responding, she simply stared blankly ahead, her arms by her sides. It was only when he side-stepped closer to her, the back of his hand brushing hers, that she let a small smile tug at the corner of her lips. She glanced sideways at him, briefly meeting his eyes.
"A little while longer."
And when she moved closer to him, letting their hands touch once more, she thought that the idea of a little while longer didn't seem too bad. In fact, it sounded downright inspiring.
