A portrait, glowing, radiating warmth and friendliness. Lovely, gentle. Soft to the touch could she be touched. It shone in her smile; spontaneous, real. Her gaze, unfiltered and piercing, captured mine.
So it was our first encounter.
My consciousness is stamped with the impression, still so many years later. A wine stain on new linen cloth that will not wash out.
But it is not her. I think it is not her and I wonder if it will be.