Artwork& story Mahzad Saeb
Looking up into the night sky, I feel the cool summer breeze against my cheek. I look down over the balcony railing, stepping back into a moment when everything once felt right, even if reality tells me differently now.
Below, I see myself and my daughter playing in the backyard. Then I look to the other side and see her kicking a ball through the warm summer air, playing with her father. I can hear their laughter and giggles, so natural and free, without a single worry.
I blink once, then twice. The darkness settles back across the sky, and that little moment of happiness fades away between the trees swaying in the breeze.
I pull my arms in close, wrapping them around myself to block out the chill that wasn’t there a moment ago. The grass below is empty now. Just shadows and quiet, with nothing moving except the wind through the leaves.
It’s funny how one memory can feel so warm and real, until you open your eyes and remember where you actually are.
I stay at the railing for a few seconds longer, staring at the dark silhouette of the yard. Part of me wants to close my eyes again and somehow bring their laughter back into the night. But the breeze keeps blowing, soft and indifferent, carrying the last pieces of the memory away into the darkness.
I take one deep breath of the cold air, turn away from the railing, and walk back inside.
