1. When she danced in my kitchen wearing my socks
It was 10:43 a.m. on a Sunday. She was still in her pyjamas, hair a complete mess, holding a mug that said “Chaos in a Cup.” And for some reason — with that ridiculous song playing from her phone and her slipping around the tiles in my socks — I thought:
God, I love her.
I almost said it.
But instead I just leaned against the counter and said, “Careful, if you break something, I’m making you pay for it.”
She stuck her tongue out and spun again. I sipped my coffee and swallowed the words.
2. When she fell asleep on FaceTime
She had called just to say goodnight, ended up rambling about her day, and fell asleep mid-sentence — cheek squished against the pillow, screen tilted sideways.
I watched her breathe for a while, phone warm in my hand.
“I love you,” I whispered, testing it out like it didn’t count if she couldn’t hear.
And then, panicking at my own voice, I hit the red button.
Coward.
3. When she met my mum
She made my mum laugh.
Really laugh — the kind of laugh that came from her belly. And my mum looked at me, and then at her, and mouthed she’s lovely. And all I wanted to say was, Yeah. I know. I love her.
But she came over right then, slipping her hand into mine, and I choked.
“You two conspiring against me already?” I asked instead, smiling like I wasn’t two seconds away from completely losing it.
4. When she made me laugh in the middle of an argument
We were bickering over something small — probably food. Or laundry. Or the way I leave my shoes everywhere. She was trying to be serious, to get her point across, but halfway through she cracked a joke so stupid I couldn’t help it — I laughed. Hard.
She blinked at me, caught off guard, then burst out laughing too.
We stood in my hallway, mid-disagreement, both laughing until our stomachs hurt.
And I almost said it then. Through the laughter. Through the mess.
But all that came out was, “You drive me crazy, you know that?”
She winked. “You like it.”
…Yeah. I really did.
5. When she cried during a stupid commercial
It was one of those overly emotional travel ads — something with old people and violins and rain.
She teared up. Actually cried.
I teased her, called her dramatic.
She threw a pillow at me and sniffled, eyes red. “Shut up.”
But then she curled into me, all quiet and soft and close. And the words hit my throat like a wave.
But I swallowed them. Again.
Just pulled her tighter and kissed the top of her head.
6. When she stole the last slice of pizza and smiled like a criminal
It was after midnight. We were sitting on the floor of my apartment, surrounded by empty pizza boxes and two half-finished drinks. She was wearing my hoodie again — the grey one I never let anyone borrow, but on her it looked unfairly good.
We were watching something dumb on TV, not really paying attention. I reached for the last slice at the same time she did.
She beat me to it. Took one giant bite and gave me this smug look like she'd just won the lottery.
“You’re unbelievable,” I said, trying not to laugh.
She grinned, cheeks full of food. “Should’ve been faster, Mr. Norris.”
And maybe it was the way she sat cross-legged in my living room like she owned the place. Maybe it was how she looked at me like I was the whole world — even while chewing like a gremlin. Maybe it was just time.
But I looked right at her — sauce on her lip, crust in hand — and I said:
“I love you.”
Just like that.
No dramatic music. No lead-up. Just the truth.
She froze mid-bite.
Then swallowed.
Then blinked at me.
“…because I took your pizza?”
I laughed. “No. That just confirmed it.”