Katherine Nicolai

Sometimes, even when a decision didn't really matter, I could slip into a loop of comparing and rethinking. This walk was meant to be a way to rest that part of myself.

Sometimes, even when a decision didn't really matter, I could slip into a loop of comparing and rethinking. This walk was meant to be a way to rest that part of myself.

Sometimes, even when a decision didn't really matter, I could slip into a loop of comparing and rethinking. This walk was meant to be a way to rest that part of myself.

So I needed to do something like flip a coin or roll a color die. From my drawer, I took out a familiar yellow and green box, the big one with a sharpener on the back, that I'd treated myself to on my last trip to the stationery store.

So I needed to do something like flip a coin or roll a color die. From my drawer, I took out a familiar yellow and green box, the big one with a sharpener on the back, that I'd treated myself to on my last trip to the stationery store.

So I needed to do something like flip a coin or roll a color die. From my drawer, I took out a familiar yellow and green box, the big one with a sharpener on the back, that I'd treated myself to on my last trip to the stationery store.

I closed my eyes and flipped the top open, letting my fingers trail over the waxy tips of the crayons.

I closed my eyes and flipped the top open, letting my fingers trail over the waxy tips of the crayons.

I closed my eyes and flipped the top open, letting my fingers trail over the waxy tips of the crayons.

They'd come organized, of course, but I was in the habit of pulling them out by the handful as I used them and sticking them back in willy-nilly. so I truly had no idea even what family of color I might pull.

They'd come organized, of course, but I was in the habit of pulling them out by the handful as I used them and sticking them back in willy-nilly. so I truly had no idea even what family of color I might pull.

They'd come organized, of course, but I was in the habit of pulling them out by the handful as I used them and sticking them back in willy-nilly. so I truly had no idea even what family of color I might pull.

My finger stopped on one, and I slid it from the pack. I paused to feel where the wax met the paper, how it was peeled back a bit from when I'd sharpened it last. I wondered if it would be a yellow, which I would spot in every daffodil, a yield sign, or a shade of blue, like the sky today.

My finger stopped on one, and I slid it from the pack. I paused to feel where the wax met the paper, how it was peeled back a bit from when I'd sharpened it last. I wondered if it would be a yellow, which I would spot in every daffodil, a yield sign, or a shade of blue, like the sky today.

My finger stopped on one, and I slid it from the pack. I paused to feel where the wax met the paper, how it was peeled back a bit from when I'd sharpened it last. I wondered if it would be a yellow, which I would spot in every daffodil, a yield sign, or a shade of blue, like the sky today.

But when I finally blinked my eyes open, I saw I'd drawn good old burnt sienna.

But when I finally blinked my eyes open, I saw I'd drawn good old burnt sienna.

But when I finally blinked my eyes open, I saw I'd drawn good old burnt sienna.

I said aloud, didn't see that coming.

I said aloud, didn't see that coming.