My knee knocked the leg,
pencil thrummed the tabletop.

My gaze wandered:

Water pitcher? Commonplace.
Handmade spoon rest? Sentimental.
A bee rebounded off the window.

Then Amalie, ecstatic:
“Mom! Have you ever
stuck your nose
into a sweet pea
and breathed so deep
you thought you’d
gone to heaven?”

Perfect.

Melissa is a sweet pea enthusiast living in Canada.