NYAC | 3min Read
Published on May 14, 2026
Perfect
Perfect
There was a café on the beachside. He was fixated on the water.
“Ohh? You’ve never met anymore more beautiful?”
He hesitated, “Nope.”
“That hitch says otherwise.”
“Okay there was one girl…
”
“Talking about another girl on a date? How cruel.”
“C’mon Bella, you brought it up!”
“I’m kidding dummy!”
She took a sip.
“Why orange juice?”
“Yeah, anything wrong with it? Or did that ‘one girl’ do
something more hardcore?”
Her words irritated him.
“Ignoring the fruitphobic tendencies…tell me ‘bout her.”
“About who?”
“About that ‘one girl’”
What would he even tell her? No. The better question was how
much would she even understand?
“I met her on a beach just like this one…” And she was
beautiful.Her dark hair had flown in the wind, her green eyes called to
him in a sweet lullaby.
That girl, oh she was perfect.
He turned his head to see Bella but she wasn’t there anymore
There was someone sitting on it though, swinging her legs. He
had look down to see her pout. She looked exactly like Bella.
“You promised coffee!”
“Coffee? You’re just a kid.”
“C’monnnn!”
“Absolutely not.”
She winced, then her face lit up, probably with an idea he would
hate, “I’ll tell mama..”
“What?”
“I’ll tell her!”
“You’ll tell what to your mama?”
“That you were talking about ‘that girl’ again.”
“WH-! Ugh! Fine!”
Some battles are simply unsurmountable. He plopped the cup on
the table.
“This is low caffeine!”
“Deal with it.”
“Ughhh! Fine..It’s still coffee I guess. Thanks.”She took fast, hasty sips, “You were saying?”
“What now?”
“about that girl…”
“That girl…”
He had met her at the most tumultuous time of his life. And she
was here. On a beach like this one, carefree and enjoying her
days.
Their eyes had met briefly and it was electric. The way she
smiled, her hair that threatened to cover her beautiful face.
She really was perfect.
Then with a click of a glass his attention was once again
diverted. It was annoying, obviously. He had to scold that little
girl or-
“You were saying?”
A young woman sat in front of him.
She was swirling a glass of wine.
“Geez, what are you teaching her now?” A familiar voice called
out to him, “Talking about nonsense again, you never grow out
of it.”
It was Bella. Her face was different though, she looked…older.
He reached for the mug on the table to divert himself, but
stopped at the sight. There was a ring on his finger, and his
hands…
They were wrinkled. His entire face was.“And look here when I’m talking to you! Won’t you even
apologize?”
He finally met her eyes, “Sorry ‘bout that.” Were his only
words.
Silence.
The haughtiness evaporated.
A calamity took hold of her. There was a long pause followed by
a choke, then the tears didn’t stop.
“You finally paid attention to me…
”
He froze.
He wasn’t prepared for this.
The second he talked to her, and this happens.
He didn’t plan on making sweet talk; besides, the young woman
was already embracing Bella.
He stood up and rushed out of there.
They would handle it themselves.
He ran to the beach. The winds blowing like it had on that day.
The sun kissing his face like it had lit hers.Yet, there was no one there.
All except a single woman. She had dark hair that flowed in the
wind and green eyes that still called out to him like a lullaby.
She turned to him, flaunting her summer dress and sticking her
tongue out.
She had not a single imperfection on her face. Not a single
wrinkle.
She looked exactly the same as she had on that day.
She was perfect.
But that was the problem, wasn’t it?
She was still perfect.
Too perfect.
For she wasn’t real in the first place.
