11"x 14" framed painting, acrylic on canvas - Gazing at a Memory
 
Inside, the air was a warm, spiced heaven, redolent of cinnamon, cloves and a hint of pine. On a windowsill stood a plate of Christmas cookies—jewels of confectionery art. Their surfaces shimmered with sugar crystals and delicate icing patterns, tiny masterpieces almost too perfect to eat. Above them, goldfinches perched with a proud serenity, their feathers a sharp, vivid contrast against the silver and grey world outside. The birds chirped softly. Their presence lent an ethereal quality to the scene.It was the kind of experience that leaves you suspended between yearning and contentment, as though you are gazing at a memory yet to be made.

A burst of crimson flared, illuminating her face more brightly. For a moment, she turned, and their gazes met. She did not see him truly, only the ghost of his presence.