Heist

The dawn breaks.

In a household amongst many others like it, a child rises from their bed after shutting off their alarm, unaware that today will be the day that a single lesson will inspire the path they’ll follow for the rest of their life. Elsewhere, a rooster crows, alerting its farmhand to the start of another day spent toiling their land. Another home sees a nurse collapse into their bed after another twenty-four hour shift, body running on empty but heart as full as ever, safe and secure in the knowledge that their efforts were not in vain.

All around the world, the start of a new day signals the turning of the page and the chance for many to pen an entirely new chapter of someone’s beautiful life. And on this particular day, you find yourself intending to inscribe the next words of your story in pen. You intend for these words to last.

The chapter opens with soft beams of sun peeking through the gaps between the leaves, radiant rays shining through the window’s glass and illuminating the bedroom. A bit of that golden glow finds a home atop the bed, haloing the sleeping beauty resting atop the silken sheets as they rouse her from her slumber.

“Can you please fuck off?”

“I’m sorry but—” You hide behind the curtains you just pulled back, using them as cover against the pillow pitched in your direction. “Babe I—ugh.” Your sentence cuts off midway as you’re forced to duck under another pillow aimed directly at your head. “Can we just—” Somehow she still has more; stupid hotel, giving her a million pillows—“Chae!”

“WHAT?!”

Silence smothers the room as Chaewon finally sits up in the bed and glares at you as best she can through tired eyes, staring daggers blunted by depression into you as she waits for you to explain yourself. This isn’t the first time a conversation between you two has begun with fireworks—if anything, you’d consider this an improvement over your other recent attempts.

Anyone on the bird app knows damned well how loud any amount of “fans” can be when their hearts turn to hatred, and unfortunately, public response to the group’s latest comeback is best described as a ceaseless cacophony. Vitriol’s been spewed like venom, corroding the members’ confidence as they’re subjected to such cruel scrutiny. You’ve put forth your best efforts to try and derail the hate train, but it’s continued forth unimpeded, leaving the love of your life at the center of their crosshairs.

In such trying times, you’ve tried to act as a rock for Chaewon to cling to as she weathers the storm, but even your best efforts to hold her close have done little as you feel your shared connection slipping. You’ve been forced to bear witness to the love of your life descend into depression, unable to do anything but watch as she constructs wall after wall between herself and the outside world. Physically, she’s still close, but the distance between you and your love seems impossibly vast, farther than it’s ever been, leaving you trapped in a waking nightmare with the girl of your dreams.

A sigh of resignation slips past your lips as you close the curtains, making your way over to the bed. Chaewon’s gaze finally softens as you sit beside her, taking her hand in yours and staring deep into her eyes.

“I know it’s early and I’m sorry for waking you,” you say, voice soft as you rub your thumb over the back of her hand, feeling the slow pulse of her heartbeat in rhythm with your words. “I just wanted … I was hoping you’d let me take you somewhere special today.”

You know her well enough to see the excuses forming in her mind long before she opens her mouth to respond. “I’m really not in the mood today, sorry babe. Can I make it up to you later this week?”

The words hang in the air between you, a flimsy shield for her to hide behind and a promise she’s likely to break.

“It really has to be today.” You wince as you see the small smile she’d managed to muster fall from her face. The deja vu from other conversations creeps forth from the back of your mind and before she can let you down easy, you take a leap of faith instead.

“Baby, I know it’s hard. And this isn’t your fault—none of this is your fault. I’m sorry. So, so sorry. The last thing I want to do is add to your list of burdens, but please. Baby, just for me, can you try? Even if it’s just for today? Please?”

“Alright,” Chaewon says after several moments, sending your head spinning as your heart surges with excitement.” “Let me go take a shower and then we can head out.”

“Thank you!” you exclaim, pulling her into a hug for what feels like the first time in forever. “I went out last night and found the conditioner you were looking for, it’s sitting on the shelf, waiting for you.”

“Oh! Thanks,” she says, resting her head on your shoulder as she leans into the hug.

After a minute or so, you reluctantly let Chaewon go. As she showers, you grab everything you’d prepared in a faint hope that she’d accept: two pairs of sunglasses, the hoodie she always loves to steal from you, your favorite blanket to share with her, the picnic basket, and even the bouquet of flowers you’d managed to hide in the closet.

A few minutes later, she steps out of the bathroom, clothed in something simple but shining brighter than you’ve seen in months as she wears a smile that actually reaches her eyes. You’re standing there with flowers in hand, extending them forward to Chaewon and hoping she’ll reach across the gap for real this time. She takes the flowers from your hand with a soft word of thanks, staring down at them fondly for a moment before setting them aside.

Chaewon’s eyes instead fixate on the hoodie over your shoulder, hands extended out in a little grabby motion as she looks up expectantly. You pretend to put up a fight but you’re happy to hand it over, swooning all over again as her smile widens and she slips on the hoodie, the sleeves extending far past her hands as her little head finds a home inside the hood.

This time, she’s the one to extend her hand to you. You’re more than happy to take it, taking a hold of hers and leading her out of the hotel into the beautiful morning awaiting you. When she shivers, you’re quick to pull out the blanket and wrap it around her shoulders … leaving an arm wrapped around her. Just in case.

You find a private section of the beach where you can be alone together—a little alcove where the sun’s just barely able to share a bit of its warmth. Chaewon helps you lay out the blanket, letting out little gasps of surprised excitement as you pull out a dozen or so containers of baked goods and miscellaneous snacks that hold a special place in her heart.

“This is incredible,” Chaewon remarks between bites of blueberries. “Can I ask you something though?”

“Anything.”

“Why today? Was it just because of the weather?”

You take a second to muster up your courage before asking, “Do you know what today is?”

“Sometime in mid-March … I honestly don’t remember, sorry. What is it?”

“Today is March 20th, the first day of Spring, but there’s something else about it,” you explain. “You know how the summer and winter solstices are the longest and shortest days of the year?”

“I do now,” Chaewon says, smiling in that little way that always steals your heart. “I still don’t see where you’re going with this though.”

“Well today is the exact middle of those days; the most average day of the whole year where the day and night are exactly the same length,” you continue. “It’s so normal in fact that there’s an identical day in autumn where the same thing happens.”

“When did you turn into such a nerd?” Chaewon teases, poking you in the ribs as her smile widens. “It’s cute though, I like it.”

“Thanks …” you say, rolling your eyes and turning away to hide the blush forming on your cheeks. “But the point is, this is the most normal, average, unremarkable day of the year.”

You look back to her and confess, “And that’s what I want for us. I want to be able to spoil you without it being a special occasion. I want to spend time with you, I want to see you smile even if I’m not the reason why. I’ve hated seeing you suffer so damned much and I just want you to give me the chance to give everything I can to make you happy.”

A breeze blows over the beach, casting a chill over the heart you’ve just laid bare for her to see. “Babe …” Chaewon’s voice floats over to you, soft and strained as she sifts through the emotions she’s buried so deeply. “That’s so sweet of you and it means so much to me … and I wish I could promise you that I’ll be able to do the same.”

You open your mouth to speak, to reassure her that it’s okay, but this time, she’s the one who cuts you off. “But I can promise that I will try. That’s all I can do for now, but it’s a promise I’m willing to make just for you.”

And that’s enough. That will always be enough.

You leave the words unspoken as you pull her into your embrace, hoping that she’ll get the picture and understand the thousand words you don’t know how to say. It’s not perfect, but it was never supposed to be. What it is is progress, a step in the right direction. Some days, it might feel like it’s you and her against the world, but as you sit here, a perfect fit in each other’s arms, you’re starting to like those odds.

It's a new start, an opportunity, a genesis.