This particular morning, breakfast was sausage gravy and biscuits, bacon, and tiny little cheese omelets. You know I made a sandwich out of them. In true American fashion, it lacked any real vegetables, but, hey, the whole place smelled great. We were actually up before most people in the hotel, our reflections the only ones in the shiny red apples in the bowl at the tall table, save for Miss Sadie (such a nice lady!). News gossiped over the tables, which we had turned to ignore; more about the shutdown made us grumble. Terrana was quick to say to me that news here "isn't particularly useful, is it?" I agreed, pointing out that Chris and I had grown accustomed to listening to BBC on the Internet radio, honestly. News here is basically geared toward being entertaining, panic-inducing, or otherwise sensationalist, not so much the informative like she's used to.

I sniffed my Earl Grey before I dunked it into its bath. Mmmm. Hearing a heavy sigh, I looked up at Terrana. Oh, she looked so very tired. I felt a twinge of guilt twist my insides a bit. Yesterday was too much; I'd run her too hard. I pet the sides of my cup and breathed a deep breath in. Today was the last day for the drive-in theatre, but it was Sunday. (I was still getting used to the idea of it being Sunday!) It would be crowded. Just look at her... you can't put her through any more of that. The crowds and loud noises and rowdiness... you know what...?

"It's Sunday..." I said. "Let's have a lazy day."
"That sounds delightful." Her eyes lit up and it was so beautiful... and I hoped she didn't see me blush.

I quickly talked about video games. We talked about video games a lot. In fact, we played video games all day. I learned how to play Reus, a world-building game that kind of reminded me of Civilizations or Black and White or something, only it's really its own thing. I haven't played it since Terrana was here, but I played it for a good few hours when she was, enough that I forgot what she was playing while I was playing that one, embarrassingly enough! We made noises about maybe I would like Minecraft. I told her that Chris and Irime and even Mandi told me I would like Minecraft. I should try it sometime, I thought. She tried to load it up on her laptop but I think something wasn't working at the time, but that was fine. I took a break to get a homework assignment done, and then we looked outside.

What the hell?

It was getting dark!

I can't help myself when you're around...

We decreed it should be pizza and movie night. We made it so. While normally one might go and be social and go on a date to get pizza and then go to a theater, we are self-respecting antisocial gamers. This ind of galavanting would not do. So!: to a mostly-deserted-for-Glen-Burnie 24-hour Walmart to purchase a copy of Despicable Me! I also bought The Last Unicorn DVD, because the author was in town, and Irime and Kit said that they might get a chance to get it signed for me when they go work at the movie showing where he was.
To a Pizza Hut for a stuffed crust pizza with the best toppings of everything and the dipping sauce that makes you breathe the garlic dragon breath! I needed a drink at that point. It was wretched tea though. Blech. Terrana tried it. Yuck. I apologized on its behalf.
That'd been enough social interaction for us -- quickly back for snuggles and watching Despicable me for the first time! I could eat one slice of that stuffed crust stuff before feeling like a wedge of cheese myself, argh. Now I remember why I can't eat it any more. So good though! I tweeted things during the entire movie, now realizing where Debbie had gotten her "It's so fluffy I'm gonna die!" ringtone. I also tweeted "curse you, tiny toilet!" and nearly wet myself laughing at that. I actually don't know what made me laugh more: the movie, or Terrana laughing at me laughing at the movie. I think, possibly yes.

The movie was over and I folded the pizza box and put it on our tiny, makeshift 'kitchen' area. More tea happened. I was starting to get spoiled with Terrana making me tea like this. I was starting to appreciate our little milk setup, also.

And... I don't know how it happened. We were getting ready for bed. We both turned off our computers. It was time to go to sleep. Who started talking first? I do remember who it was. I remember what it was I said. we talked about the Things That Hurt and the Things That Helped. Something happened that night. I won't write every word here, but I remember the words. I remember them and I treasure them. I needed them. I think she did, too. We talked for hours and hours about our lives, about what we lived through, and about the Why of things. I looked into her eyes and I remember feeling understanding I never had with her before. I could have kissed her. I didn't.

You take me back to the start, where I dropped my guard.
I have to let you in... and tell you everything.

I told her everything.

I told her things I hadn't told my therapist yet. Some things I might never tell anyone else. It was something that I got to see that only happens once... like watching a star get born... or a rare flower bloom.

Actually that's what it felt like. I could feel it spreading from my chest like it was releasing slowly from being balled up tight for so so long.

Maybe it took all night, it took until the wee hours of the morning, and with the passing of many words and a lifetime of stories, but we bloomed that night. It was beautiful.