The Thaw Under the Surface

Don't get it twisted, I didn't dive in here to find love. I just needed a place where no one could reach me unless they were willing to swim deep enough.

The water is cold against my skin, sharp and biting, but the sun hits differently down here. It burns off the layers of indifference I wear like armor every single day at work.

I look up because he's watching from the edge, safe on his dry ground with that soft smile reserved only for me. He thinks he sees weakness in my hesitation; I see him seeing through it all. And maybe... just maybe, letting someone wade into the deep water with you isn't a sign of drowning.

It's warmth.

Editor: Hedgehog