orange (wednesday)

i remember drinking fresh orange juice on the beach in marco island

from one of those orange shaped cups with the green lid and straw

something made me think of this memory the other day; i could smell that orange juice mixed with suntan oil, fresh air, and salt

i missed my parents in that moment as i closed my eyes and thought about the three of us, me sitting between them, on the beach of my early childhood vacations

at some point, i took a break from orange juice and all things orange flavored; not sure why, but it became a twenty year break

all my friends and family knew that orange was my least favorite

but after living here, on the west coast, for a few months, i began to crave oranges

and now i drink them, eat them, and breathe them in

perfection nestled in memories

day three of color week