Chevy Equinox.

Riding down the road, at an easy sixty miles per hour, I roll the window down to feel the breeze. I extend my arm out of the window and spread my fingers to feel the wind tickle the skin between each one. I rest my head on the door and close my eyes, my face soaking up every drop of sunshine. I open my eyes to peer at the clouds and make characters out of their different shapes. The sound of the wind in my ears is loud, but I can still hear the music he has playing through the speakers. I bring my attention back to the tune and become present in that space with him. I like the music. Better yet, I love the music. It was his music; his music that he curated for this drive we were embarking on together.

We don't talk much but the comfort in our silence makes the road trip even more charming. We exchange glances and soft smiles, and I return my gaze to the sky. I feel a twinge of discomfort in my hip, so I stretch out my legs onto the dashboard. He asks me if my hips are bothering me, and I look at him and say, "I'll be okay". His gentle asking of that question is enough for me to forget about my discomfort and to be healed by his care for me. I look at him again, he caught me doing so, and we share a giggle. I think to myself "WOW I love this man".

I start to feel the nerves coming up about what is on our calendar for once we arrive at our destination. The butterflies are swirling in my stomach and up into my chest. I am so happy he is going with me and supporting me. He knows I get nervous and sometimes don't eat but I know that once we get there, he will make sure that I am taken care of. I think he senses my nervousness rising, so he reaches for the volume knob to turn the music up just enough to quiet my mind. I close my eyes again and hear the chords and breathe deeply. The scent of his car is so specific yet unidentifiable. I have always found it to be comforting but today, it is more so than ever before. I continue to slow my breathing and open my eyes. I watch his English flag fuzzy dice sway from side to side on his rearview mirror. I laugh to myself because that kind of car accessory doesn't seem to fit him, but he loves them. One time, I got it wrong and called them Canadian and he made sure to poke fun at me for that mistake. "Silly goose!!!", he said. He always said that. Even in my seriousness, he still always finds everything I say to be silly. It perplexes me sometimes. Well....most times actually.

He finally breaks our comfortable silence and asks, "Can I play something for you?". Eager and curious, I immediately respond with "Of course, anything!!". Something about his expression turns shy and nervous, which grows my curiosity by one thousand percent. He says "You know how we were recording in the studio this weekend? This is one of our finished tracks." I can feel my stare widen and my ears perk ready to listen intently and soak in every drop of his voice that I am about to hear. The vocalist of my dreams, is sitting beside me, softly wanting my opinion; I have never felt more in love than I do right now. I can feel that he doesn't want me to look at him while I listen, so I turn my head without saying a word. The song sounds sexy, dark, emotional, and intriguing; everything he is, he put into the music. The song ends after a short two minutes and some seconds, and I turn to him and sing his praises. He isn't as thrilled with the song as I am, but my pride makes up for his lack. His talent exudes from every part of his body, he just does not see it, but I do. I feel so perfect in this life with him; he is on his way to watch my art and see my shine and we are sharing his talent in this space together on our drive. What a harmonious memory we have just made.

This car always makes those memories for us. Sometimes, when we are riding together, I find myself wishing we could stay encased in between these four doors forever. This drive is not too long but man, I can't wait for the hours ahead.

07/06/2023