THE COLOR WHEEL
ALM 92, August 2026
SHORT STORIES
In a world where everyone is born only seeing everything in black and white, colors start to reveal themselves whenever a person falls in love. Ella saw the color red, and she hated it.
“I don’t understand why you can’t trust me.”
Ella scoffed at her boyfriend, Nick, as she stood in the kitchen putting away the dishes when he arrived from work.
“You’ve been coming home late without texting or calling,” she said, not bothering to look at him. “What was I supposed to think?”
Nick sighed. “How many times do I have to say I’m not cheating on you?”
Ella ignored him, and that made Nick run a hand over his face. He paced around the living room for a bit before he said, “Admit it. You’re not over him.”
Ella paused abruptly, still holding a glass cup, when she finally turned and shot a pointed finger towards him.
“Don’t you dare bring him into this,” she said through gritted teeth. “This has nothing to do with him.”
“It does, Ella. It has everything to do with him!” Nick said, throwing his hands up. “I’m the one who has to deal with your damn trust issues. All because of the mistake he made.”
The blood in Ella’s face ran hot, and she felt steam coming out of her ears when she yelled, “If you have such a problem with me, just leave!”
“Maybe I will,” Nick said, laughing bitterly. “Maybe you can even go back to that cheating asshole. It won’t make much of a difference since you think everyone’s one anyway!”
Ella slammed the cup in her hand down onto the floor. The sound of it breaking echoed throughout the kitchen.
“Get. Out,” she said.
Nick stood there, shocked, for a second, but the expression he held dissipated as quickly as he turned to leave the apartment without another word. He didn’t slam the door behind him, but the sound of the soft click left something much heavier than the glass. Ella slid onto the floor, forcing herself to sit with the remnants of the argument. She picked up one of the larger pieces of the cup, and a mix of guilt and anger stirred inside her when its red glass stared back at her.
The color red first appeared when she laid eyes on her first love, a charming man she ran into a few times on the subway. His name was Sam, and he had red hair. He was always so proud and confident, and loved her so warmly. Ella loved red, as she loved him.
She remembered the lipstick stain she found on Sam’s shirt collar one day. It was a stupid bright red, almost pink, and she knew it wasn’t hers. Ella only ever wore burgundy because Sam liked it on her best. She never wore it again after she packed her bags and left that night. She never loved red again.
Her eyes stung when she threw the glass at the wall, hoping it would somehow erase the pain that still lingered. But the glass only shattered, leaving a pool of red speckles on the kitchen tile that felt like a permanent reminder of her past. As if a dam had burst, she let out a choked-up sob before she finally cried, burying herself in her arms. Nick was right, she thought. He was probably long gone now, and the pang in her chest tightened when she realized that it was going to stay that way.
She didn’t notice when the front door opened after an hour, maybe two, so she almost jumped out of her skin when she felt someone gently pull at her.
“Nick?” Ella said.
Her boyfriend was crouched in front of her, still dressed in his work clothes under a hooded sweatshirt. The skin around his eyes was red and swollen as if he’d also been crying, and that made Ella twinge with more guilt. She opened her mouth to apologize, but Nick moved to sit next to her before she could say anything. They sat like that for what felt like another hour, and the silence was so loud that Ella wished that Nick would start yelling at her again.
“I thought you left,” Ella finally said, more to herself than him.
“I just needed some air,” Nick responded tiredly.
Ella only nodded, keeping her focus on her lap.
Nick picked up a piece of glass from the floor. Ella knew that Nick couldn’t see its color, but the way he picked at its sharp edges—like it offended him—almost convinced her otherwise.
“I’m not like him,” he said after a while.
Ella didn’t respond.
Nick continued anyway. “I don’t expect you to forget what he did, but all I’m asking is for you to put a little more faith in me.”
Ella’s lips quivered when she said, “I’ll try to, but you know it’s hard sometimes.”
“I know,” Nick said.
He brought an arm around to pull Ella closer to his side, saying an “I love you” into her hair when he kissed her temple.
“I’m sorry for what I said, by the way,” Nick said.
“I’m sorry too,” Ella replied. “You didn’t deserve that.”
Nick gave her a small, reassuring squeeze, and she leaned into him, letting the silence of the night blanket them again. Ella noticed that Nick still had his shoes on, but what caught her attention was the flicker of color that appeared on the laces. A color that was unfamiliar to her.
“What color are your shoelaces?” Ella asked.
Nick was taken aback at her question, hesitating when he answered, “Green, I think. At least that’s what people tell me. Why?”
“Nothing,” Ella said. “I think it suits you.”
Lora Soqueno was born in the tropical islands of the Philippines, but grew up in the humble town of McKinney, Texas. She now lives in Orlando, Florida with her houseplant and an equally humble-sized book collection to keep her company. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, crocheting, or replaying her favorite video games.
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