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She walked into the cosy looking sweet shop; the bell above the door tinkled as she entered. Before her were rows and rows of vibrantly wrapped sweets and chocolates. Layla's eyes scanned the different flavours: sweet, fizzy, sour, bitter...bittersweet. Her lips curved into a triumphant smile as she strode over to the place her favourite sweet lay. As she held the yellow rock like substance in her palm, she inhaled the scent. It reminded her of the many times she had snuck out of her bedroom through the window just to get away from her family. Layla had found her legs taking her to the sweet shop and she had been full of glee as she dipped her hands into lots and lots of sweets. Even though she knew that she'd get scolded back home, she savoured the chances she had of freedom. Layla popped the sweet into her mouth and the taste brought with it a number of memories that she would rather forget. She groaned inwardly, her head throbbed with the invading images. She remembered the time when her best friend had betrayed. The time when her first crush and boyfriend had dumped her for the new girl. Layla remembered waiting anxiously in the hospital corridors, desperately seeking answers that probed her mind. Would her grandma be ok? What was wrong with her? On the day of her burial, Layla had cried and she was crying now, standing alone in front of the sweets. Then the image of winning the sports championship and of holding the trophy above her head. Layla remembered how her older sister had made her feel better about the break up, they had spent hours thinking of names to call him. However, the best time of her teen was holding her baby brother for the first time. Feeling his soft skin and witnessing his first smile. Layla snapped out of her reverie as the bittersweet taste disappeared from her tongue.
"Life is bittersweet!" She said out loud without thinking. She startled by an unfamiliar figure emerging from behind the counter.
"Well, of course it is, my dear! If life was like honey then there'd be no fun in living!"
Giving the lady a polite smile, she left a 10p coin on the counter before she left. Layla considered what the woman had said as she felt the cold air brush her cheeks. She's right, Layla told herself, life would be dull if it wasn't bittersweet.