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Description
“I love her.”

“What do you mean, you love her?”

“I just… do. I’ve never met anyone like her. And..” A sigh, “And I think I could spend the rest of my life with her.”

“But bro. Come on. ..I mean, really. Come on. Think about it. Dontcha think that she’s a little… erm…”

“Old?”

“I didn’t say it!”

“No, I guess you didn’t. But you were thinking it. No, I don’t think she’s too old. Or too “mom,” or too… anything. Right, maybe. Too right? Can you be too right?”

“Well yeah. I mean, you can be too anything, can’t you, bro?”

“…Naaah. Besides, what bad could come of “too right”?”

Laughter. Two men – boys, really, just beginning their adulthood – just sitting around, shooting the breeze. A windswept hill, a warm sun. They’d been friends forever, but that was changing. Growing apart. You could probably tell by the way they sat, apart, not really facing one another, but not looking anywhere else, either. Life was changing them. It happens. They may as well have been brothers, though.

Even time can’t tear family apart.

“She’s gorgeous, bro. ..Damn it, you’ve even got me saying it, now. Ugh.”

“Saying what?”

“Forget it. But really. Gorgeous. It’s.. details. She doesn’t look her age. And she’s amazing. I mean, she just has this skintone. I guess some people might be put off by it. But it’s sort of what I’ve been looking for, you know? I mean… people are always saying, ‘Oh, hey. Describe your perfect mate. Your ideal partner.’ I’ve never been able to do that. How the hell do you describe “women”? Or ‘personality’?”

“You ca—“

“You can’t. Exactly. So I guess it’s tough to put to words. But the facial expressions she makes. They’re adorable. She scrunches up her nose when she’s trying not to smile at me, and she can’t seem to look at me without trying not to smile. Not that I don’t have the same problem… maybe I just hide it better. I dunno. It’s absolutely attractive. How can you be around someone who can’t so much as look at you without flashing a gorgeous smile? Brightens up my day, every time, man.”

“God, you’re such a fucking romantic, bro. You never were like me.”

“Like you? What do you mean, rampant manwhore?”

More laughter.

“Nah, bro. I just never… did the whole “one-woman” thing. Not after what’s-her-name.”

“Who are you kidding, man? You know her name. Don’t fool yourself. You’d probably go back to her begging if she asked you to.”

“Shut up, dude. You’re no different.”

“Except I’m not saying I am.”

Silence.  Isn’t it dreadful? Comforting as a blanket, sometimes. Warm and enveloping. Loving. Adoring. I’ve never felt as safe as I do when I’m wrapped up in a blanket. Never felt quite so secure as I do when I lay out in bed, held in place by two or three comforters. But then, I’ve never had the pleasure of being wrapped in a loved one’s arms. Not the same, in any case. Maybe the womb is more comforting. Maybe it’s better. But silence… it can be that comforting. But it also keeps all our secrets. Holds them still, catches your breath, and waits until the right moment before it kicks you in the teeth.

“Sometimes I hate you, bro.  You’re too happy. You’re too this, too that. I fucking hate the way you just shrug my shit off like it’s nothing.”

“I don’t do that, man. What are you…? I’ve listened to you, helped you. I’m there for you. Shit, I’m here for you.”

“I’m going to be a dad.”

It took me a second to realize. ..Did he really just say that? A dad? Him? No way. He did sleep around. And he never… I mean. He always used protection.

“Do you love her?”

“I don’t know her, bro. We just… slept together, once.”

“And you …didn’t use protection? What the he—“

“No! I did. We did.. It just. …I don’t know. Shit happens, bro. I don’t know what I’m going to do. Quit college. Get.. more jobs. I don’t know.”

“You’re keeping it?”

“Yes.”

“…I don’t know if I should congratulate you or what, man. Are you two getting married?”

“She’s with someone else.”

“…”

It’s funny how the smallest of things can seem so absolutely alien to us. How our friends can take us so off-guard with the simplest of statements.  Things that shouldn’t make sense, but do.

“So you love her, huh? What does that mean, bro?”

“…I’m not sure yet. I haven’t felt this way about anyone in a long time. I don’t even know if I should or can call it love.  I know that I want to spend a damned long time with her. And that I’d do almost anything to keep her smiling.”

“Keep at it, bro. You got good things goin’ for you. I’m sure she sees ‘em too.  Fuckall knows if we were gay I’d’ve stolen yer ass a long time ago.”

“…Dude. Too far. Appreciated. But too far.

A fading scene with laughter and joking. Things will work out eventually, right? They always do, for the hero of our stories. I guess we’ll find out. Together.

Description
“I love her.”

“What do you mean, you love her?”

“I just… do. I’ve never met anyone like her. And..” A sigh, “And I think I could spend the rest of my life with her.”

“But bro. Come on. ..I mean, really. Come on. Think about it. Dontcha think that she’s a little… erm…”

“Old?”

“I didn’t say it!”

“No, I guess you didn’t. But you were thinking it. No, I don’t think she’s too old. Or too “mom,” or too… anything. Right, maybe. Too right? Can you be too right?”

“Well yeah. I mean, you can be too anything, can’t you, bro?”

“…Naaah. Besides, what bad could come of “too right”?”

Laughter. Two men – boys, really, just beginning their adulthood – just sitting around, shooting the breeze. A windswept hill, a warm sun. They’d been friends forever, but that was changing. Growing apart. You could probably tell by the way they sat, apart, not really facing one another, but not looking anywhere else, either. Life was changing them. It happens. They may as well have been brothers, though.

Even time can’t tear family apart.

“She’s gorgeous, bro. ..Damn it, you’ve even got me saying it, now. Ugh.”

“Saying what?”

“Forget it. But really. Gorgeous. It’s.. details. She doesn’t look her age. And she’s amazing. I mean, she just has this skintone. I guess some people might be put off by it. But it’s sort of what I’ve been looking for, you know? I mean… people are always saying, ‘Oh, hey. Describe your perfect mate. Your ideal partner.’ I’ve never been able to do that. How the hell do you describe “women”? Or ‘personality’?”

“You ca—“

“You can’t. Exactly. So I guess it’s tough to put to words. But the facial expressions she makes. They’re adorable. She scrunches up her nose when she’s trying not to smile at me, and she can’t seem to look at me without trying not to smile. Not that I don’t have the same problem… maybe I just hide it better. I dunno. It’s absolutely attractive. How can you be around someone who can’t so much as look at you without flashing a gorgeous smile? Brightens up my day, every time, man.”

“God, you’re such a fucking romantic, bro. You never were like me.”

“Like you? What do you mean, rampant manwhore?”

More laughter.

“Nah, bro. I just never… did the whole “one-woman” thing. Not after what’s-her-name.”

“Who are you kidding, man? You know her name. Don’t fool yourself. You’d probably go back to her begging if she asked you to.”

“Shut up, dude. You’re no different.”

“Except I’m not saying I am.”

Silence.  Isn’t it dreadful? Comforting as a blanket, sometimes. Warm and enveloping. Loving. Adoring. I’ve never felt as safe as I do when I’m wrapped up in a blanket. Never felt quite so secure as I do when I lay out in bed, held in place by two or three comforters. But then, I’ve never had the pleasure of being wrapped in a loved one’s arms. Not the same, in any case. Maybe the womb is more comforting. Maybe it’s better. But silence… it can be that comforting. But it also keeps all our secrets. Holds them still, catches your breath, and waits until the right moment before it kicks you in the teeth.

“Sometimes I hate you, bro.  You’re too happy. You’re too this, too that. I fucking hate the way you just shrug my shit off like it’s nothing.”

“I don’t do that, man. What are you…? I’ve listened to you, helped you. I’m there for you. Shit, I’m here for you.”

“I’m going to be a dad.”

It took me a second to realize. ..Did he really just say that? A dad? Him? No way. He did sleep around. And he never… I mean. He always used protection.

“Do you love her?”

“I don’t know her, bro. We just… slept together, once.”

“And you …didn’t use protection? What the he—“

“No! I did. We did.. It just. …I don’t know. Shit happens, bro. I don’t know what I’m going to do. Quit college. Get.. more jobs. I don’t know.”

“You’re keeping it?”

“Yes.”

“…I don’t know if I should congratulate you or what, man. Are you two getting married?”

“She’s with someone else.”

“…”

It’s funny how the smallest of things can seem so absolutely alien to us. How our friends can take us so off-guard with the simplest of statements.  Things that shouldn’t make sense, but do.

“So you love her, huh? What does that mean, bro?”

“…I’m not sure yet. I haven’t felt this way about anyone in a long time. I don’t even know if I should or can call it love.  I know that I want to spend a damned long time with her. And that I’d do almost anything to keep her smiling.”

“Keep at it, bro. You got good things goin’ for you. I’m sure she sees ‘em too.  Fuckall knows if we were gay I’d’ve stolen yer ass a long time ago.”

“…Dude. Too far. Appreciated. But too far.

A fading scene with laughter and joking. Things will work out eventually, right? They always do, for the hero of our stories. I guess we’ll find out. Together.