The cold winter air surrounded Lourdes as she sat on the balcony, snuggled up on the cushions. She hadn’t been able to set down her book all day, as it was simply too enticing to put down. Her eyes danced along the page as she read:

   It was going to be hard for Maria to forget him. He was the only one for her! She vowed she would never, ever fall for anyone again, after Peter. Because Peter was her love, her one and only. And now that he was gone, she was alone. That was just how it would be.

    Just reading the passage made her feel even more heartbroken. How ironic, reading a sad story just after a breakup. Nice going, Lourdes! With a sigh, she set down the book and stood up, stretching her arms. She had to get up and do something, or else she would seem like a lazy sack of potatoes. The thought made her laugh to herself. That’s pretty much all she was, lately. A lazy sack of potatoes. One without a boyfriend.

    Her laughter died out after that last thought. That wasn’t funny at all. Nothing to joke about! Lourdes shook her head, pressing her lips together as she scooped up her book and went back inside her apartment. Maybe there was something she could do to cheer herself up. Really anything to get her mind off him.

    Oh, how easily she could remember him: his chocolate brown eyes that twinkled no matter the light, his light, shaggy blonde hair that went just past the tip of his ears, that perfect suntan on his skin--oh, his freckles! She could never forget his freckles. They dusted right below his eyes and over his nose, a light color, accenting his face in a way that just made him all the more handsome.

    Lourdes could also remember the day they met: she had been out walking on the beach, forced outside by her mother, when she saw him. She couldn’t help but smile; he was teaching a young child how to surf. His hair hung in his face as he knelt beside the little boy, wearing swimming trunks and a light tank top, explaining the different parts of the board to the child. The boy’s eyes were wide with interest as he listened intently. Lourdes had tried to make her way over to him, but had tripped and fell face-first, getting a mouthful of rocks and damp sand. She had then been helped up, and had found herself gazing into deep brown eyes. His eyes. He was laughing, and asked her a question. Was she okay? It had taken her a moment to respond, yes, she was just fine. He had told her his name was Kit, and that he found her to be very pretty.

    A week later, they were going out, and it was Kit and Lourdes, Lourdes and Kit. Together forever. It had been that way for almost two years, until that fateful night. God, she didn’t even want to think about it. Not the way his face lit up whenever he saw her, not the way his shaggy hair fell in his eyes...

    Shaking the thought away, she put the book on her shelf in the front room, shuffling to the kitchen. Maybe ice cream would ease her! Humming tunelessly to herself, Lourdes reached into the freezer and pulled out a tub of cookie dough ice cream. Ah, her favorite. The only kind she ever bought. With a faint smile, she set it down on the counter and popped it open, getting out a spoon. Hey, she lived alone! She could eat ice cream straight out of the carton if she wanted to! That’s something Kit used to do with her . . . No, Lourdes. Don’t think about that.

    The first bite of ice cream made her shiver at how cold it was, and it numbed her mouth, but by the fifth bite she was used to it. She leaned her body against the counter as she ate, closing her eyes to help savor the taste. Lourdes smiled serenely as the first taste of cookie dough was felt.

    As she ate, her mind wandered. Maybe she could get over Kit, after all. He was just a boy. Sure, he might’ve been the only man she’s ever loved, but she could easily get over him, right? She would be just fine on her own. She was her own woman.