a scorched tongue from your favorite soup that could've been avoided if you had just waited - but it looked SO good and at least now you know next time to just wait like the tide waits for the moon not eager like Valentine's merchandise sitting on shelves on the 26th of December or an invitation to Sunday brunch before having Saturday night's hangover and how could I say yes to mimosas and hash browns before taking that shot of tequila - no lime, hold the salt let the alcohol linger in the back of my throat like a comment being suppressed by politeness because if I didn't have anything nice to say then I wouldn't say anything at all and so I didn't until my silence became so deafening I nearly lost myself before I found my way home to you and you welcomed me with open arms and a closed heart an unannounced house guest with the worst timing and the best intentions a familiar stranger who had once been asked to leave and come back later