What are We?

Riley Reid and Mindi Mink are stretched out on the couch, eyes on the screen. Riley stands up so fast the cushions shift. Something is clearly gnawing at her. She spits out a jumble of half-formed thoughts about them, about what this even is, and Mindi just blinks, lost. Riley tries again, sharper this time. They have been fucking, and still no name for it. Her voice tightens when Mindi’s answer stays soft and vague. She spits the rest out in one breath: her feelings run deep and she has to know where Mindi stands. Then she walks out before an answer can land. Mindi spends the afternoon wiping counters that don’t need wiping, mouthing half-sentences to the empty kitchen. Every try sounds stiff until the words “I love you” slip out. They feel solid the second they leave her mouth. She decides it is time. Later she finds Riley back on the couch, thumbing through channels. Mindi takes the remote, kills the picture, and sits close. She starts with an apology for the silence, then says the hours they have stolen together have been the brightest she has known. She meets Riley’s stare and lets the rest out clean: she is in love with her. Riley’s face changes in a heartbeat. She leans in hard, kisses Mindi like she means to brand the moment, and answers that she loves her too.