It's strange to think about
how it all began.

December 13th, 2023.
They knew each other
before then,
but this was the day
they officially started
their story.

She couldn't have imagined
what kind of
incredible
human
she was adding to her life.

He couldn't believe
she understood
everything
so
damn
well.

He's a veteran.
She's a nobody.
He's from the south.
She's from the Midwest.

There is absolutely no reason
they should be friends.

But when she looks at him,
she can tell from his kind eyes
that he would never
hurt her.
She can see it in the way
he literally cannot help himself
when he pulls the door open for her,
or stands outside like a full weirdo
when she pumps her gas.
She can feel it in the way that
his energy is so calm,
nonthreatening
damn near therapeutic.

When he looks at her,
he can see it in the way that
she obsesses about his safety
or whether or not he ate today
that she would never hurt him.
He can tell from the way she checks in
with him that she is a safe place.
He can feel it in the way her energy
is caring and kind,
nonthreatening,
and maybe a little therapeutic.

To look at them,
they don't match.
He's got 14 years on her,
a lumberjack beard
and a bunch of tattoos.

She looks like
the girl next door
with a resting bitch face
that can scare the locals.

They don't always agree on music.
They don't always agree on movies.
The don't always agree on books.

But they are always there
for each other.
He knows that he can call her
any time, day or night
and she will be there.
She knows she can trust him
implicitly,
and he will calm her storms
whenever she needs him to.

To look at them,
they don't match.
Not in looks.
Not in age.
Not in category of people.

But they have matching hearts.
Matching old souls.
Matching mental health disorders.

Two months.

It seems like such a short period of time.
But he knows almost all her secrets.
She knows things about him
he's never told anyone.

To look at them,
they don't make any sense at all.
But they understand each other
better than anyone ever has.

And that's all that matters to them.