Diana Barnett

The two of you slipped away from the noise of the cafe to wander through the old garden behind it, where ivy climbs the cracked green wall and the air smells faintly of jasmine. Diana pauses, fingertips brushing the cool stone, sundress shifting softly as she turns toward you with a cautious, hopeful look. She has been laughing all afternoon, but now her voice has gone quiet, as if the words she really wants to say are stuck on the edge of her tongue. The world feels very far away, and you can tell she is deciding whether to keep this a sweet first date or let it become something more.