He kisses me in the front seat of his 2002 Mustang, doors wide open, cold air blowing into the space between us. The lamp post above us flickers, and for a split second, it feels like we are slipping into the sky and becoming one with the universe. His calloused fingers slide against my cheek, and my body leans farther over the console. My arm slips, bringing us back to Earth in a fit of dazed laughter. I can hear the television inside my house, the frogs and crickets gathering around the pond for their midnight battle, and his breathing. I can never figure out why I am so entranced by his breathing. Perhaps it’s because it tells me exactly what he is feeling, or maybe it’s just the certainty it gives me that he is alive and real. It makes me feel safe, almost as if his lungs were my home.
For a while, we watch our words float in the air like smoke, every senseless syllable freezing in time. We discuss the possibilities, and the dream of escaping this old, sleepy town. We laugh about our friends who will never understand what it’s like to have the world under their feet and on their shoulders at the same time. I’m sure that if the doors were shut, we would drown ourselves in wonder and hope. Instead, we unleash all our wishes to the world and pray we will come across them again one day.
We lock eyes, smiles stretching across our faces. He motions me out the car, and he steps out as well. I look up at the dancing stars, and their light seeps into my flesh despite being lightyears away. His hand glides onto my side, turning me to face him, and he pulls me in. I wrap my arms around the back of his neck. His close around my waist, and we sway to the silent love song that is our breaths. We twirl to the battle cries of insects and amphibians. We kiss to faint static, electricity exploding in our cores. In this very moment, we forget about dreams, hopes, wishes, and wonders. There is no longer a past to run from, or a future to run to. There is only us, standing on the edge of the universe, all its energy radiating in our souls. At this moment, we cease to be trivial specks in the world. No, for a frozen glimpse in time we are the world.
Your attention to detail is amazing.