"Hugs, what's this for?"
"Think of them as love flowers."
He went straight for my vase collection above the refrigerator as I held the cluster of wild flowers and daisies in astonishment.
"You are one of my dearest friends and I wanted you to know how much I love you."
"I feel honored but you didn't have to."
He put the gorgeous flowers on the kitchen table and I realized he was nervous about something. I offered him some of Kung Pao chicken but he nodded no thank you-- wiping up the water left along the kitchen counter.
"Hugs, you don't have to do that."
"So, how's the psycho twin of yours. Still dating? What are-"
I nodded no. "Sorry, Hugs. I'm not going to let you do that."
He looked at me in silence.
"What's going on?" I asked, taking the rag from his hand.
He paused, his face staring at the floor. What was he thinking about? Did he just lose Mocha Daze?
"I did it." he mumbled, nervously arranging the flowers in the vase. I stood up in silence-- waiting for him to continue when suddenly he reached forward and wrapped his arms around me in a desperate and awkward embrace.
"I got tested." he whispered. I held onto him, tighter, not letting go. We stood in my tiny little kitchen, holding each other in silence as I blankly stared forward.
Seeing the stain on the kitchen wall I still needed to remove.
Seeing the gas bill on the refrigerator I needed to send.
Seeing something, anything, to take my mind away. I didn't want anymore bad news, I didn't want anymore friends to have the human immuno...
"Hey, hey, I don't know yet." He said, cupping my panicked face in his hands. "I get the results in a couple of days. Just...I didn't know what to do. I don't know...where to go.
I stepped away and searched through my Chinese food bag, handing him the fortune cookie. Suddenly I was more upset than he was.
He smiled and cracked the fortune, reading the little note. "You're wisdom is ageless."
We both paused, and then erupted into laughter-- welcoming the smiles.
"What the hell does that mean?" Hugo asked. "Is this take out from some new age Chinese restaurant?"
I laughed, nodding no.
And suddenly it wasn't so scary. Suddenly I knew, regardless of the results, we were going to be fine.
Just fine.
