He met her at a gate in the dark. She smiled like she already knew him. He told himself the broken windows and the mildew smell were just circumstances — things you looked past when someone made you feel like staying.

Breathing Flowers is a short story about want, warning signs, and the particular blindness of a man who mistakes damage for depth. Part romance. Part horror. All true.

Some things that grow in the dark aren't meant to be brought inside.