I awoke with my head on a thin cover, my body on the hardwood floor, and my mind a bit jumbled as to where I was. But, then I felt fingertips through the tee on my back, and slowly, it dawned on my morning fogged mind. Originally, I was sleeping on the air mattress Min had prepped close beside her bed, but somehow my body rolled away from where it was situated and magnetized itself to the edge of Min’s bed. Obviously, Min noticed because, as of now, the tips of her fingers pressed into my spine and she ran them up and down along the grooves. Yet, I did nothing but give in. I groaned pleasantly, my body melting even more-so into the wood floor.

Min began to stroke my spine a bit more firmly.

It stayed like that for the next few minutes. I groaned pleasurably, and each groan brought on a firmer stroke until my spine was worked free of knots and could no longer take the rubbing without pain. I turned over onto my back, stretching against the floor till I felt almost every joint provide a satisfying crack. Then, it was with a soft smile that I greeted clear, emerald green eyes, rosy cheeks, and a faint, loving smile.

There, right in that moment, I felt, for the first time in the last five years, a fluttering beat inside my pulsing heart; a mix of joy and peace and security. A moment of deep feeling emanating from somewhere deep down, locked there for who knows how long. And, once more of the endorphins surfaced, my mind conformed to the long forgotten feeling. The same feeling that makes you attach yourself to another person, so deeply, that should anything happen to that one, heartbreak is unmistakable.

Love, my subconscious deciphered from the range of hormones, raging endorphins, and finally lowered blood pressure.

I grabbed onto Min’s dangling hand and held it. Impulse lead me to do it, as well as spit out the three words I never thought I’d say to another person, out loud, again. “I love you.”

Min squeezed my hand gently, something different relaxing in her expression. When she said, “I love you too, Mickey,” something fully broke the floodgates inside of me. Then, it occured that Min might’ve been waiting to say those same words to me. Although we did love each other, we never said it aloud until now.

I guess we both were just waiting for the appropriate moment, and the warm rays of sun cascading through the windows, plus the silent, morning atmosphere, helped in forming the almost forbidden words.

I removed my hand slightly, but left my pinky encircled around Min’s. “Promise me you won’t ever hurt me?”

She knew what my pinky wrapped around hers meant, and she squeezed back firmly. There were no doubts left holed in that grip, especially when she replied, so readily, so surely, “I promise.”