All the Fun I've Been Having
Melina and I had a serious conversation today about the state of our relationship.
We were on the way back from grocery shopping, an activity she enjoys and I do not. We have a routine now: Saturdays we go to the market, unless we go Sunday. But every time, I make the list, she pushes the cart, and we both stand in the cereal aisle for a least five minutes deciding between Golden Grahams and Honey Nut Cheerios. We goggle at the Hatch chile chocolate chip cookies (who eats that?), smile at old ladies, and sing along to the Taylor Swift song on the overhead speaker. Then we drive home, and she roots for me to back into the single-car garage in one try. With Melina, grocery shopping is fun.
So when Melina said in a serious voice, “Shasta? I have something to say,” I was all, “Uh oh.”
“I just want to thank you for welcoming me into your home and letting me stay with you,” she said in her darling French accent. “Thank you for buying me food and being so fun to be with.”
Well, the black cockles of my heart warmed and turned to ash, and then a Phoenix of pure love arose and made TEARS COME TO MY EYES, not to be too purple.
But she kept at it. “I love my room, and I love your house, and I love hanging out with you. I know that every exchange student is not so lucky, but I am. That is all.”
Gulp. Yep, that’s my girl from France. I won’t tell you all I told her back, but it was heartfelt and sincere and entirely too gushy for a grown woman who’s never been in love.
Every day is a discovery: last night, it was that we’re both Swifties. We both missed The Eras Tour, but guess who has a concert film coming out in October, and guess who has tickets to that? Yeah, these gals. We were giggling today about how excited we are.
Today at the market, we got supplies for this Tik Tok recipe of a double-decker blondie/brownie with Oreo cookie crumbs and an artery-clogging amount of butter. We threw on Taylor Swift, sang along and mixed and stirred and baked and in general had the best time, and I forgot how much I hate cooking.
Melina makes everything fun. Best of all, she watches tennis with me. What a gal!
