Good is usually easy to recognize. This was not.

I found the small confection near the curb, its wrapper split, its form beginning to give way. The chocolate had softened into a shallow slump, peanuts pressing through at odd angles. What was once uniform had become uncertain.

The flavor had deepened with the heat. Sweeter, yes, but also heavier. Less defined. Not ruined. Just changed.

We tend to think of things as either good or not. Intact or spoiled. But left long enough, most things drift somewhere in between.

Verdict: If you’re close