On the walk home, Mat stopped in front of a flowering bush. “Ooh, pretty,” Laura said.

Mat smiled. “I thought you might like it. So soft and pink.”

“They’re darlings.” Laura bent forward to sniff the flowers.

“Do they smell?”

“A little,” Laura said.

“Do they smell of sex?” Mat asked.

“Oh, ho, you’re always so naughty,” Laura said. “They smell of flowers.”

“Yeah, but your sex smells of flowers,” Mat said.

Laura blushed.

“Go ahead, take another sniff,” Mat said.

“You do it,” Laura said.

“Okay,” Mat said. But instead of bending to the bush, he picked one of the little blooms. He held it to his nose. “Mm,” he said, “sweet Laura cunt.” He held the picked flower beneath Laura’s nostrils. He tickled the pink petals against the tip of her nose, and then brushed the flower across her upper lip. “What do you think it would feel like if I used this to caress your nipples?” Mat asked. He brought the flower to Laura’s breast. “Are you getting wet thinking about it?”

“You’re so naughty,” Laura said, and she turned away and started down the sidewalk.

“Wait. Stop!” Mat said.

Laura stopped and turned.

“I’m not mad at you,” she said. “I’m just in a hurry to get home.”

“I know,” Mat said, “but you almost stepped on something.”

Laura looked down. “What?” she said.

“Turn around,” Mat said.

Laura turned around. At her feet was a baby bird. A dead baby bird.

“Oh,” said Laura. “Oh, goodness.”

“Things like that happen,” Mat said. He took her shoulders.

“But it’s so sad,” Laura said.

“Not even old enough for feathers,” Mat said. “Just pouchy skin, like a guy’s balls.”

“Should we bury it?” Laura asked.

“No, we should let the ants take care of it,” Mat said. “We should go home and celebrate life. I’m going to fuck you sitting up, so in the mirror you can see my balls buried in you, deep beneath your darling bush, and when you come, the little bird’s gonna fly straight to heaven. How does that sound?”

In answer, Laura took Mat’s hand and they fairly flew home.