Three Days of Happiness

203
The riverfront we walked down the day before I met Himeno. The
viewing platform. The community center we stayed at. The Cub.
The candy store. A vending machine. A public phone. Starry Lake.
The old bookstore. The swan boat. The Ferris wheel.
And me sleeping.
I turned to a new page and started drawing Miyagi sleeping in
return.
Probably because of my drowsiness, I didn’t realize it had been
years since I’d drawn any art without stopping until after I was
done.
Art, which I’d thought was only frustrating.
When I looked at my completed drawing, I was filled with a
surprising sense of satisfaction. But I also had a tiny feeling that
something was amiss.
It was easy to overlook. It was minor enough that if I just thought
about something else for a moment, it would go away entirely.
I could have ignored it, closed the sketchbook, put it beside the bed
near Miyagi, and been able to sleep happily awaiting her reaction in
the morning.
But I was sure of something.
I concentrated to the best of my ability. I strained my senses to find
the source of the wrongness.
I reached for it like a letter floating in a dark, stormy sea, my hand
slipping as I tried to grab it.