One of the best things about my childhood, especially in the summer, was chasing butterflies.

A bright, colorful creature would fly by me while I was outside on a summer day; sometimes blue, or orange and black, or even purple, and instantly grab my attention. I would skip around my yard aimlessly for, what felt like hours, disregarding the hot sun shining on my sensitive skin.

You were like the butterfly.

But instead of bright blue wings that flapped in the summer sky; you had dark, olive tone arms that made their way around me. You had dark brown eyes, that glimmered like the sun shining on me.

I chase after you, your love, your shiny smile, your awful jokes, like I do that butterfly. Determined to catch it and admire its beauty firsthand.

The funny thing about the butterflies, though, is I never caught them. As determined as I was, I would always get close, even feel the wings flutter on my fingertips, but never could I catch them.

That’s how you are, the second I think I have you; reading all the texts you sent me, all the promises you made me. That was what made my heart so determined. That was the butterfly wings, fluttering on my fingertips. Then when you ignored me; that was you flying away.

There was only one other thing I remember about them. There was only one time I ever actually caught a butterfly. I was so happy; I ran to my mom to show her. “Mommy, mommy! I finally caught one!” I help it up to her, so happy and full of pride, only for her to deliver some bad news as a response.

“Sweetie, that’s a moth…” she said. The amount of disappointment I felt. It looked so much like a butterfly to me. Until my mom pointed out the lack of color the moth had. Though the moth showed its true colors all along, it still led me on with great deception.

You made your intentions clear from the beginning, showing your true colors. I just ignored them because you seemed so much like my butterfly. You made it seem so much like I was all you wanted. You made me feel loved.

 I thought you were my butterfly, the one I could never catch. Turns out I was just chasing butterflies in a field of moths.