The pitcher of daffodils had seen better days. No amount of fresh water was going to breathe life back into them. They had been a non-essential purchase on a rare trip to the supermarket, their vibrant colour a reassuring sign of spring and joy, and something that couldn't be ignored. She made a point of showing them to the cashier, acknowledgement that she didn't need to buy them but we all needed things to make us smile these days. Even now as they sit there wasted in water, they're a reminder that after doom something beautiful will always bloom.
By Charlotte Simmons