Brighter Than My Porch Light

A New Star Added to My Blank Page

As promised, after weeks of planning, I went over to Wendy's place to help her with Joy's things.

The moment I entered her apartment, it was indeed a disaster.

She claims she cleaned and did chores, but the accumulated dust on her table and piled-up clothes on the chair say otherwise.

Being around her makes me happy. I lost someone important, but I gained a new one.

The universe gives you what you need. Seulgi taught me about the law of attraction. It's when you finally get it right that the growth you feel will be magnificent and immeasurable.

Wendy and I have been constantly working on auditing ourselves together.

Guiding each other to stay aligned in a state where we are on the same page, like lifting each other when someone breaks down.

Our first mission: her bedroom.

I sweep and she vacuums. I put the piled-up clothes in the laundry hamper, and she started doing the laundry. It's magnificent teamwork and one heck of a workout.

"I want my old immaculate place back. I've been a wreck since my breakup, so packing up Jennie's things at your place gave me the motivation to get this done," she whispers as she sits on the edge of her bed, with a rag in hand, looking hopeless yet hopeful.

"So, let's finish up? Double work time," I exclaim with my wide smile, encouraging her to keep moving.

I pointed at her bed and chairs, telepathically sending her the message that we wouldn't be able to sit anywhere with all the stuff on them.

Now on to the next corner, her living room. Where our flawless productivity abruptly stopped.

A snowball of procrastination kicked in. We got hungry every hour, indulging in snacks and chilling.

"This inevitably makes things worse; we're not finishing the tasks that we need to do," she laughs out loud while putting sour cream-flavored popcorn in her mouth.

We're on her living room floor, crossing our legs, finally caving in, and deciding to watch a movie.

"Stress cleaning helps clear my mind space. Especially with a broken heart, you'd see the souvenirs and gifts from a different angle. Do they bring you joy or anger?" I explained to Wendy while she set up her massive TV.

"Yeah, don't keep anything that doesn't belong to the next chapter of your life," Wendy responded, busy fixing our first movie date together in her messy living room.

It's nice to stay still, catch our breath, and see the cleaning progress work in real time.

After a long day of cleaning with a movie date, we accomplished more chores than procrastination this time.

She was going to drive me home, so we tidied up and headed to her garage.

I'm expecting her to turn on the car engine when suddenly, she turns and says, "Do you want to stay over?" I felt shy and surprised, but I just went, "Yes!"

We're not going to sleep on the same bed; she has the biggest sofa and a king-size bed. She also has a skylight roof where you can see the stars and the pouring rain.

"If only people stargazed more, they would realize there are deeper things in life, you know," Wendy sighed deeply as if she had lost faith in society.

"Yeah, beyond material and superficial things, money, and fame... you know," I agreed with her while I stayed still, just watching the sky.

"Yes, I second the notion. There are more important things than what we usually do daily," she looks at me for a second, blinks a couple of times, then back to the sky view, breathing in slowly.

The surroundings fell silent. I could hear my breathing and feel my heart beating calmly. Her room has a peaceful environment, and it's helpful to find inner silence.

Several people have sought the outside world to look within and seek peace. But I found it, right here, right now.

I'm questioning the universe: how come an amazing girl like Wendy is single? Then the universe heard me, and it sparked a fire.

"I lost someone over broken promises and unpleasant excuses. I promised to never make that mistake again," she said adamantly, her face brightening with a closed-lip smile.

Our eyes met, and that was the moment I knew romantic feelings were starting to blossom.

So, I need to fire her.