bare. (So, I threw your letter into the flame; and these...)

ask. When Hayley was small she knew what she wanted to do when she grew up: make prettiness, and appreciate love. As she grew from small to tall, she learnt to seek out the prettiness in every day -- that wispy plait running down a girl's back; a low blue sky over a still sea; ethereal, dreamy clouds; ancient buildings with their own stories to tell. She recognised joy on peoples' faces, and surrounded herself with them: faces of lovers, friends, something in between, and strangers. So, she was happy.

(care of ohdanielle.)