The salty, earthy aroma of brewed coffee wafted heavily through the air, piercing through the café with the rich scent of roasted beans. Dark redwood tables surrounded me, polished smooth and shiny. Paintings, pictures, and drawing covered the walls. The vibrant blue-green colors splashed out of the painting to the left of me; I could almost feel the sandy beach and the warmth of the rays as they beamed.

A chill of chocolatey goodness filled my mouth as I sipped my ice-cold drink. I took another sip and transported back to the reality of where I really was… and who I was with. I looked up to see a boy sitting before me, no older than 16. His striped shirt wrapped tightly around his torso while showing the vague outline of his ribcage. His hair flowed back like waves slowly rising and falling onto the shore. Suddenly, I was again some place warm. This time, however, was not the sun-filled sky of a sandy beach, but the arms of the one sitting across from  me. A smile crept onto my face.

“What?” he said as a giggle escaped his widespread smile.

I looked up and stared into those blue-green-grey, glossy eyes. It was as if the whole universe had shrunk and was absorbed into the two bulbs staring back at me.

 “Just you,” I said.

His eyes filled with light as he looked down and blushed. I reached my hand across the table and placed it onto his. His gaze flashed upwards, back onto me. As those galaxies of his focused back onto my very own yearning eyes, I felt my pulse quicken. My heart pounded onto my chest, begging for it to be let out so it could lock right onto his.

     “I love you,” he said.

 At the sound of those words, not only were butterflies fluttering around in my stomach, but lions, tigers, monkeys, and elephants. It was as if a whole zoo had broken out and then found rest inside of me, only to be abruptly woken by those three words that sliced through the air. In this moment, among the hard wood tables, bitter-sweet taste of chocolate, and aroma of coffee, it hit me.

*   *   *

A sudden yap from downstairs has me rolling out of bed and back to the present. I stretch my arms up and arch my back while letting out a prehistoric grumble.

I look backwards to see the boy sitting across from me, sipping on some warm coffee. Only this time he’s no longer a boy, but a man. Arms surround me and kisses drown me as I close my eyes and fall back onto him.

This is real. This… is love.