Katy drew a deep breath. A very deep breath, an infinite breath. And then she screamed-- she screamed for a mighty dang long time. Out of her mouth thundered the frustration, the grief, the embarrassment, the fervor, and the undiluted emotion that had accumulated over the course of two beautiful, yet at the same time horribly mortifying hours. At first, she saw light, and it blazed in her eyes... Eyes which soon after spilled sorry tears and turned to starry heights as a means of distraction.

A bolt of self-pity spurred her self-destruction and the accompanying agony. She closed her eyes and tasted the air with her tears, her grit, and her vocal noise. It resounded.

Bitterly, she stemmed the flow and the cry withered. She whipped the water from her face and came to terms with her own negotiator. A compromise was reached: cry today, smile tomorrow. Life goes on.