Brighter Than My Porch Light

Road Trip to Idyllic Highway

Wendy came to pick me up for our dinner date; she waited for 30 minutes. She's never late.

She's chronically on time, with her gray WMB 8-Series Gran Coupé. She's always with a drink and snacks for me. This time, she bought me a blueberry chia smoothie and oatmeal cookies.

I told Wendy about my day, as I always do. We talk day and night.

She talked about the news and meetings she had, while I talked about the funny videos I saw online, my next projects, and Jisoo's weird reaction this afternoon.

"Maybe she's talking about Seulgi's movie. Isn't that about someone who can't profess her feelings to a friend, who belongs to someone else?" She said, referring to Jisoo's reaction.

"Oh yeah, maybe," I replied, trying to relax and sink comfortably into her passenger's seat.

"I can't wait to see Seulgi's movie though; you've been talking about it so much. I want to see those gut-wrenching scenes," she said excitedly.

"What would you do if a friend rejects your professed love?" She threw the question passively.

She patiently waited for my answer, focusing on the road.

"Hmm, I don't know. Just move on, crawling but trying? Haha, I'm pretty sure it's like a knot in my stomach that I can't untangle. So painful, like a bottomless grief," I responded.

"Yeah, it's more painful when you lose the person, and even your friendship can't be restored, so you let these two things go, your feelings and the friendship." She described how sorrowful it would be, like what she experienced with Joy, her ex.

"Oh, that's brutal, but in Seulgi's movie, the friend is trying to move on, unbeknownst to the other person that her friend has fallen for her," I explained as I snuggled into her passenger's seat, my arms wrapping my legs close to my body.

"Let's say Seulgi... would you profess to her?" Wendy asked curiously.

I laughed out loud before answering, "I think I would. Even though her heart is elsewhere, I would. What if she reciprocates those feelings, right?" I responded firmly, sure of my answer.

"And what if she doesn't?" She asked quickly.

"Then at least, there's a chunk in my soul that says I tried. Instead of hiding it and letting it beat me up forever while I stare at my girl enjoying somebody else's company, thinking that could have been me," I shared with conviction.

"Hmmm, smart and brave, haha," she chuckled and agreed with me.

"Don't worry, I got you," she added, reaching for my hand, smiling.

After dinner, we were stuck in a traffic jam, and I was falling asleep.

She noticed I kept yawning. She likes it when I fall asleep while she drives. It adds to her ego because it means I feel safe with her.

Like my subconscious mind trusts her enough to go into a deep snooze until we reach our destination.

As I curled up in the passenger's seat again, I thought, "Contentment and lightness. Perfect day and perfect food. Me and Wendy. Everything is falling into place."