Scent

“Your nose can remember 50,000 different scents … Humans can identify a wide variety of scents and many are strongly tied to memories”.

A hint of Old Spice mixed with Guinness is all it takes to remind me of you.

You, with your cheesy pick up lines (“It’s my magical love potion!”), love of classic rock, and free food, especially the greasy variety.

You and our late night conversations, random drives to nowhere, and middle-of-the-night fridge raids.

You tapping on my dorm room window because you and our crazy friends had the urge to fill my kitchen with the aroma of chocolate chips, butter, and sugar at midnight.

I wonder where you are now. Are you happy? Do you ever think about me and what almost was?

Do you ever think about that night you asked me if I thought it would screw up the friendship?

Do you regret never bringing it up again after I said I didn’t know, like I do?

A breeze blows the stench of mangroves into the dorm hallway and takes my memories with it.