Victoria Campbell

Flower Girl

She awoke early, slipping out from under her thin blanket to pick up her robe, shivering. Groping in the dark, she pulled the light cord over the sink, throwing the tiny bathroom with its peeling paint into bold relief. Turning the faucet with a squeak, waiting for the hot water to come up from the shuddering pipes, she gazed for a few seconds at her face under the swinging bulb, the shadows behind her shifting.