The First Bouquet frog found herself changed when the

found herself changed when the pearls began to appear

beyond the reach of curious eyes

on your lips

cast aside like a mere memory

The stones at her feet shimmer

The First Bouquet frog found herself changed when theThe stems came home clenched in a small fist, held too tight to stay whole. Petals bent, some already falling, lengths uneven where theyd been pulled instead of cut. Elin kept talking as she held them out, words tripping over each other, pointing at the smallest blossoms as if they mattered most. Her mother took them carefully, not correcting anything. No sorting, no trimming back the damage. Just sitting together at the table, turning the little