7. Different Kind of Love
Chapter seven
Different Kind of Love
After that conversation, something changed between Miko and Meca.
Not the way they worked.
Not the way they greeted each other every morning.
Those things stayed the same.
What changed was the comfort.
Miko no longer felt like she had to filter her questions.
If something crossed her mind, she asked.
If she didn't understand something, she admitted it.
One afternoon, while organizing paperwork, Miko looked over at Meca.
"So...can I ask you another question?"
Meca laughed without looking up.
"I knew that wasn't your last one."
"You probably did."
"What you got?"
Miko leaned back in her chair.
"Do relationships between women last?"
Meca smiled.
"Some do."
"Just like regular relationships?"
Meca looked up.
"They are regular relationships."
Miko laughed.
"You know what I mean."
"I do."
"They have problems too?"
"They have bills."
Both women laughed.
"They argue."
"They get on each other's nerves."
"They break each other's hearts."
"They make up."
"They fall in love."
"They fall out of love."
Meca shrugged.
"It's no different than any other relationship."
Miko sat quietly for a moment.
"I never thought about it like that."
"Most people don't."
Over the next several weeks, their conversations continued.
Sometimes they talked while working.
Sometimes they sat together during lunch.
Sometimes they stood outside after work talking for another thirty minutes before either one realized how late it had become.
They talked about everything.
Family.
Childhood.
Dreams.
Failures.
The things that made them laugh.
The things that still hurt.
One evening, after most of the office had gone home, Miko looked over at Meca.
"You always seem so peaceful."
Meca laughed.
"I fool people."
"No...seriously."
"I'm human, Miko."
"You just don't complain."
"I got things I deal with."
"You just don't tell everybody."
"Exactly."
Miko nodded.
"I respect that."
For a moment neither woman said anything.
Then Meca quietly spoke.
"I'm actually having one of those days."
Miko looked over.
"Everything alright?"
Meca took a deep breath.
"Not really."
"What happened?"
She hesitated.
Then finally answered.
"Me and my girlfriend broke up."
The room became quiet.
"I'm sorry," Miko said softly.
"It is what it is."
"You okay?"
"I will be."
Miko looked at her friend.
For the first time since they had met...
Meca looked tired.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Miko didn't know what to say.
She had never comforted a friend after a breakup with another woman.
But she knew heartbreak looked the same on everybody.
So instead of trying to find the perfect words...
She simply reached across the desk and placed her hand gently over Meca's.
"I'm sorry you're hurting."
Meca looked down at Miko's hand.
Then back at her.
"Thank you."
Neither woman moved.
Neither woman realized...
That one simple gesture would stay with both of them long after that day ended.
As they packed up to leave, Miko couldn't stop thinking about Meca.
Not because she pitied her.
Because she cared about her.
Driving home that evening, one thought quietly entered Miko's mind.
"I wonder what it really feels like..."
She wasn't talking about heartbreak.
She was thinking about love.
About everything Meca had shared.
About the tenderness in the way she described relationships.
About the honesty.
About the affection.
About the emotional connection.
For reasons she couldn't explain...
Miko found herself wondering what it would be like to experience that kind of love.
She immediately shook her head.
"Girl...where did that thought come from?"
She turned the radio up and drove the rest of the way home.
But the question...
Stayed with her.