His hobby was collecting ephemera, and was proud of his expansive collection.
But where lesser connoisseurs could boast of their obsolete video game cartridges, racks of vinyl records, or binders full of ticket stubs, he preserved moments.
He kept them organized on shelves in glass bottles arranged in neat little rows, each with a handwritten label stating when and where it was collected.
First kisses, beautiful sunsets, painful goodbyes: They represented a lifetime of memories. Each one was brief, perfect, and irreplaceable. He treasured them.
He just hoped their owners never realized they were missing and came looking for them.

“Perfume Bottles” by Vetiver Aromatics is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Everyday Drabbles © 2019-2026 Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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