Your Heart Warms When...

You invite your date home. Because now your dad is serving them wine and your mom is cutting cake, and your partner has their arm wrapped around you. The candles are lit and your dog is snoring and the fire is roaring. It’s winter outside and fresh snow is falling on the driveway, and later your dad and your partner will go outside and shovel together. You feel nice and safe with the people you love most in the world.

You see a man in the restaurant get down on one knee. Your waiter has stopped refilling your glass and your sister has her head turned to see the event behind her. The dim lights don’t hide the tears streaming down the woman who is looking down at the man in wonder. When she says yes you’re clapping along with everyone, and you feel a sudden swell of happiness. You feel it when someone whistles from the terrace as the happy couple kiss and when the staff brings out a cake on the house. The restaurant lights are brighter now and you can see clearly.

You find your old stuffed animal. It’s in your closet on the top shelf covered in dust and spiders. But inside is the same furry teddy bear you remembered. The neck is now delicate and one of the eyes fell off. But you hold it to your chest and hold it tight when it fits just like it used to. You stay there for a bit, on the floor, surrounded by piles of your things. Your legs are going numb but there’s a strange thump in your chest and tears are forcing their way past your eyelashes. Everything is going to be okay.

It’s a Sunday and you catch the beginning of your favorite movie. It’s by luck because its midday and the channel is Cosmopolitan, but it’s there. You had completely forgotten about it. You had a decent movie collection, and you didn’t even buy this one. But you soon forgive yourself after you hit record and run down the street for a candy bar. You feel like a kid again, gasping at all the right parts and mouthing along to the lines that had seemed lost.

Author's Note

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