What is Love?

Chapter 2: Lasting Love

"What is love?" I asked the waitress who gave me my ice tea.

"Well, it's, uh, love. Love is, you know, forever. Being together and loving each other's company." She smiled nervously.

I kindly smiled, reading her name tag. "Thank you, Emmy, I'm just asking because of a school project."

Emmy smiled back and left to get my breakfast order. She was new at the café I liked coming in, so I didn't want to scare her off too much. She looked like she was a high school student from her young face.

Letting my eyes drift around the cafe, I saw two guys in a far corner booth. I instantly recognized them as Gabe and Drew. But I chose to stay in my seat, because they looked like they were having a private conversation.

My focus returned to the crepes and omelette that Emmy brought me. I ate, falling more in love with my food. I chuckled to myself. I've been interviewing so much about love that I was turning romantic.

"Hey, Jay." Drew's deep voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

I looked up from my food to see him and Gabe smiling at me. They sat across from me.

"Look how in love he is with his food." Drew laughed.

I proceeded to roll my eyes good-naturedly.

"How many people do you interview for your thesis?" Drew asked.

I shrugged. "I just find random people who aren't scared of answering a few questions."

There was an understanding silence as I continued eating. They knew how much I don't like eating and talking. Soon, they were talking to each other.

"The girl from the library asked me out, bro." Drew was sharing another confession he went through. As a guy who liked making people laugh, Drew was popular on campus and around our university town. So, he gets a lot of love confessions from girls.

"What did you tell her?" Gabe asked.

"I said I'll think about it. But then I told her that I'm not the one for her and she started crying." He shook his head. "I felt so bad, bro. I hate making people cry."

"But it was better than you misleading her."

"Like that poor girl last year." I pointed out.

"I'm sorry. I was just being friendly with her, but she totally took it the wrong way. I don't understand girls."

"Same." I nodded, finishing my iced tea.

"Is that iced tea, Jay?" Drew asked with his eyebrows scrunched.

"Yeah."

"You're seriously addicted, bro. How are you always drinking iced tea?"

I shrugged while Gabe was laughing.

"Maybe if someone asked Jay what is love, he'll say, 'Love is the freedom to drink iced tea all day everyday 24/7 without getting judged.'" Gabe hilariously said.

I laughed a bit while Drew was absolutely dying of laughter. He was actually crying at this point.

"Good one, Gabe. That's jokes." Drew wiped his tears.

"I'm blessed with friends who make fun of me." I said with a fake sad expression.

"We love you too, Jay." Gabe smiled widely.

"But honestly, though." Drew addressed me. "You've actually never loved anyone in a romantic sense?"

"Never." I affirmed.

"I'm still amazed, bro." Gabe gave me a soft smile. "You've never felt butterflies in your stomach thinking about someone and just wonder what kissing them would feel like?"

"Never."

"You're definitely special."

"Well, thank you."

I paid for my delicious meal and left with my friends. Seeing a couple on a bench outside the café, I tentatively approached them.

"Hey." I gave them a friendly smile.

The guy gave me a dark glare all the while tightening an arm around the young woman's shoulders. She gave me a tight smile before lowering her gaze. Just watching them made me uncomfortable, so I did a U-turn.

"You should've interviewed them."

I looked at my right to realize that Drew and Gabe were still following me.

"Yeah." Drew nodded. "Even though that guy would've given you a toxic definition of love."

"Yeah. Did you see how he was holding her?" I asked.

"He's definitely abusive and controlling." Gabe nodded.

"She looked scared." Drew nodded. "But look at that couple over there." He slightly nodded towards an old couple with graying hair.

I quickly went to the old couple.

"Hello, sir. Hello ma'am."

"Hello there, son." The old man smiled.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you, I just have a few questions for a school paper."

"Go ahead, darling." The old woman grinned at me.

"What do you think love is?"

"That's a pretty deep question, young man." The old man nodded before turning to the old woman. "What do you think, my dove?"

"Love is a choice that you make everyday not just for yourself, but for the joy of someone else." She leaned her head on his shoulder with a peaceful expression on her face. "Love is trusting that they won't abandon you, and that they will protect you."

"Love is cherishing others and forgiving and the willingness to keep fighting for your loved ones." The old man said.

"That's very deep." I said, admiring them.

"We've been married for more than 50 years. There's definitely ups and downs, but keep fighting and remember your vows and the reason why you made them." The old man told me.

"The divorce rates have increased because people don't know what love is." The old woman said.

I wrote verbatim all their words. So much wisdom.

"Thank you so much." I sincerely told them.

They pulled me for a hug before I left them.

I looked around the streets to realize that Gabe and Drew already left. Walking towards the library, I smiled at the old couple's lasting marriage.

If I ever marry, YAH, help me to have a good lasting relationship with my wife.