Corsage

My father liked to take me to the corner drugstore, Embrey’s, to sample fragrances at the counter.  He’d sway with the biggest smile around the store, infusing me with a corsage of full-bodied scents as I laughed through tightly closed mouth and eyes. 

Sometimes a lady behind the counter would scowl through the thick scents to admonish him that it might be nice if we’d stop loitering and buy something.  But my father had his own ideas.  We never did require ownership in order to have fun. 

I hold many glimpses of what immortalizes a daughter’s love for her father. These are the times you never forget.