Van

As Julia and I settled in a back booth at a nearby restaurant, I found myself mesmerized by her smile. It did something to me, something I couldn’t control—something I didn’t want to control.

There were fires to tend, money to be made, and power to be claimed and yet, staring at the woman across from me—it was as if I were staring up at the sun. I basked in her warmth and was calmed by the tranquility of the sea of blue in ...