She uses summer as an excuse to grow into her own skin.

For she thinks she is prettier when cast in a bronze hue and adorned with freckles; they paint her face in constellations that reflect the night sky and all its questions. 

And she’s sure to have smile lines across her face from nights like these and faces that are lit up by the fickle flames that burn her marshmallows to a crisp. Laughter is the only sound that rings over the melodies that are softly hummed under breaths and between late-night conversations. 

Her blue eyes have always matched the color of the lake’s waves and the blue sky, as they comfort her with the breeze and the current. They welcome her ever-changing irises with a newfound vigor that invites her to stay and tell her story. 

Her curls soak up the humid air and embrace the weather for what it is. And her hair slightly lightens as do her burdens the further she drifts into summer’s sweet song. And as she approaches the closing verse, she is excited for what lies in the upcoming ballad that is next on the tracklist. 

Red, angry skin permanently covers her nose and reveals how much of her time she spends under the sky and with its wisdom. And her cheeks will carry the same color as her laughter turns to bellyaches.

She rotates through her swimsuit collection to try and get rid of the pesky tan lines that adorn her shoulders and hips from the sun’s warmth. 

She loves herself a little more when the weather heats up. And she gives her body more grace like how the earth forgives its inhabitants for taking all she is worth. She commemorates the hardships both she and this earth have endured; yet, summer is the world’s way of erasing the pain they’ve put both her and themselves through.

She’s always found that summer is the simplest home remedy to patch up her troubles and restore her faith in the world; she’s more understanding about the bags under her eyes because the sleepless nights are caused by laughter instead of tears. 

She likes to think the transition from this chapter to the next will be graceful, but she’s reluctant to admit that she knows it won’t be. She’ll stumble over her pride as she struggles to keep up with the fast pace of life she has fallen out of friendship with. And she’ll grant herself pockets of free time to ensure she doesn’t become an enemy of herself as she tries to grow into someone she’s proud of. 

Summer has always been a period of peace for her, and she’s trying to keep those feelings flowing through autumn.