Paisley sighed quietly with relief that Winifred didn't think much about all her numbers from moving around. She followed the girl into the back, and as she did, she caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head and nearly ran into a counter as the blueberries in the container glowed a beautiful, soft color before fading back to gray.
"And, uh, can you text me, then? So I have your number," she asked, trying to shake off the beautiful sight of color for the second time that day. That's got to mean something! But… what if she didn't see anything?
Winifred smiled and nodded.
She whipped her phone out of her back pocket and texted Paisley quickly.
Hi :) She messaged.
Paisley grinned as her own phone vibrated in her pocket. “Thanks!” she chirped.
Why won’t she talk to me? the girl wondered, shooting off a little text back. <Hey, you! 😜>
Winifred smiled and went to text back.
So…do you see color yet?
(It’s all good, I do that literally all of the time XD)
Paisley hesitated a moment before replying.
Nope, not yet. You?
Winifred bit her bottom lip.
Sometimes… she typed, then deleted it.
A no here too.
Aww 🥺😔 Paisley texted back, sending a second bubble moments later. I hope we can both find our soulmate so we can see colors together ☺️
Winifred read the text and smiled at her phone screen.
As she re-read the last word, her world flooded with color and she stumbled a bit, grabbing onto the counter top. She quickly re-righted herself and smiled at Paisley.
"Sorry," she said quickly. "Got a bit dizzy."
Paisley blinked in confusion, but she smiled back when Winifred did. “Oh, are you okay?” she asked worriedly, putting her phone back in her pocket and heading over to where Winifred stood. “Do you get dizzy spells often?”
Winifred shook her head slowly.
"Not usually," she lied. "But I've gotten a couple today, since I started my shift."
Paisley frowned. “Maybe you should go to an Urgent Care. Have you eaten enough? Are you thirsty? Do you need to sit down?”
Winifred waved a hand at her.
"I'm fine." She insisted, taking a drink from her water bottle. "Just need water is all."
Paisley frowned a bit, but she nodded anyway. “Okay… just please don’t pass out or something.”
Winifred smiled and nodded. "I won't."
Paisley offered a small smile back before she touched Winifred's shoulder comfortingly. Again, a dazzling burst of color filled her vision before disappearing. She reacted in a much more controlled way than before, only blinking in amazement and a quiet gasp, but this time… it couldn't be a simple coincidence now, could it? It had happened when she touched Winifred.
Winifred heard the gasp and turned to look at her.
"Are you okay?" She asked, in concern.
Paisley’s lips opened, shut, opened, and shut. “I-I don’t know,” she finally replied, honestly.
She wanted to tell the girl, ask her if they were experiencing the same thing. But her fear held her back. What if Winifred didn’t see anything? What if she rejects me? What if… She stopped and bit her lip, hesitating.
Suddenly, another “what if” popped into her head: What if this is it, and it’s meant to be? Paisley was shocked by the thought.
Winifred narrowed her eyes and stared at Paisley, who had gone pale and taken on a stricken look.
She nudged her gently with her elbow. "You okay?" She asked, slightly concerned.
Paisley jerked to attention at the action and studied Winifred's face intently. Do it! a little voice whispered in her head. Tell her!
"I lied," she blurted out. "I can see color. I saw it when I touched you. Twice. And before. Just when I looked at you. I saw it then too."
Winifred froze with her hand on Paisley's shoulder.
She stared off into space for a minute, imagining the two ways this could go.
She told you, you might as well tell her! Her conscience shouted.
"I've seen it too." She said, pulling her hand away slowly and smiled brightly at Paisley. "I'm glad, I could've got stuck with someone totally obnoxious."
Paisley's expression was tense as she waited for Winifred's response, especially when the girl seemed to freeze. Then her anxiety and fear melted into a wide smile. "Oh thank God!" she exclaimed. "I was worried for a second. But the joke's on you. I'm secretly totally obnoxious." She giggled excitedly.
Winifred shoved Paisley playfully, with barely any power behind it.
"Shut up," She said, laughing. "I snore, so the joke's actually on you."
Paisley blushed and giggled even harder. Just like that, another dazzling burst of color filled her vision, and her eyes widened in awe. “You’re so beautiful in color,” she whispered, staring at Winifred.
.jpeg)