by Nancy Efthimiou

The window is open; the sun feels hot on my skin, and for a single moment, I can take a breath.

I can smell the summer ritual of freshly cut grass. I can hear the buzz of the cicadas; I used to always think that the little bugs were the sound of the sun.

The things I would do to be my blissfully unaware child self again. To be a kid covered in sticky melted ice cream on a particularly hot day. Just thinking about it makes me want the sweet treat.

I close my eyes and lean my head out the window now, giving my skin the sun it so desperately craves. I wish I could experience one more childhood summer. One more hot summer night, one more tan line, one more swim. One more summer before I have to say goodbye.

Nancy Efthimiou’s “The Sun” received third place in the BCPW’s 2024 Flash Fiction Contest. Nancy attends Sacred Heart Catholic High School.