Page 104 of Love Is…?
“Anyone would think you’re a closeted director, Tom.”
They grinned at each other, while Tessa smiled at their antics. Grace’s poem was beautiful, her delivery ethereal and poignant. The lines had flowed into the room, filling the space as Tessa held her breath in wonder at the magic of a poet owning their magic. Tessa leaned against the soundproofing foam on the wall and closed her eyes, tuning out Tom and Grace’s good-natured banter. She let some of the poem’s lines filter through her mind.Yet it called to me, a truth laid bare. To query what is true is more than a need. The answer is brave; it is real to its core.
Suddenly her eyes flew open and she straightened, as if struck by lightning.
“It’s a short amount of time but it’s a truth. It’s… it’s… it’s honest and real and not made of fairy dust,” Tessa said quickly, her eyes round.
Grace and Tom turned to stare.
“Tessa?” Tom cocked his head quizzically.
“Oh my God, I’m such a blind idiot,” Tessa babbled. “That’s it. It’s real. She’s real and love is real and I need to say that.” She looked up at Grace who smiled knowingly.
“Yep. You have to tell her.”
Nodding like a bobblehead toy on a dashboard, Tessa ran to Grace, hugged her, then did the same to a thoroughly confused Tom.
“I need to go,” she gasped out.
Grace grinned. “You really do.”
Tessa stood frozen as she finally understood what it was she needed. Understood who she needed. Because she did know. She turned to the door, yanked it open, and power-walked to the exit of the MTC. She dragged out her phone while jaywalking across to the tram stop.
Angel picked up immediately.
“What’s up, cousin of mine?”
“You were right!” Tessa peered down the road, relieved to see the tram trundling towards her.
“I usually am. What am I right about this time?”
Tessa slid her Metro card out as the tram squeaked to a stop and the doors concertinaed open. “I’m always in love with love.”
There was a pause. “Well, yes.”
“No, seriously.” Tessa found the nearest seat. Being short meant that trying to hold onto one of the hanging straps meant swinging about with her feet off the ground. “I’m in love with love. That’s what it is. I’m in love with a concept, Angel. Not in love with the person. I’m in love with the idea of being in love with a person.” Suddenly aware that she was sharing her epiphany with the other passengers, Tessa hunched over and pressed her phone against her ear.
Angel laughed. “Convoluted but correct. So…” She faded off. “Jayde?”
Tessa’s stomach flipped over, and she felt her skin flush. “Well, Jayde is more. She’s more than in love with love. She’s real.”
“Come on, babes. Say it,” Angel said, almost pleading.
Tessa jiggled her knees. “I’m in love with Jayde. Like,JaydeJayde. Not the idea of love surrounding Jayde. Just Jayde.” What a moment. In love with an actual person. It felt fabulous. No more hiding behind glitter and stardust. No more Disney and make-believe. It felt true.
Angel exhaled loudly. “Oh, thank God. Finally.”
Chapter
Twenty-One
Jayde tapped the ‘L’key on her laptop, and the letter began to march across the screen as an entire platoon. Fortunately, it was a blank document—Abby’s profile sat behind—because she doubted the sub-editor ofCulturewould be thrilled with a page of distracted, messy thoughts. Jayde tabbed back to the profile, contemplated the words, nodded with satisfaction, then attached it to the email she’d prepared and sent it into the ether. Then resumed tapping.
After a moment, she brought her other hand up and, all by themselves, her fingers halted the line of ‘L’s to add an ‘O’ and a ‘V’ and an ‘E’. Jayde sat back and stared at the screen.
“Love,” she muttered. Every day, for the last two and a bit months, she had typed the word a thousand times.Love is taking down your for-sale sign?
“Kyle, my man, that’s probably true.” Jayde tapped out another forty ‘L’s.