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HAWKINS, INDIANA — 1985.
"CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION?"
Steve glanced up at Theresa as they sat across from each other on the bathroom floor. He nodded his head at once to answer her.
Tess shifted a little and glanced down at the floor, picking at her nails.
"How is it so easy for you? To just..."
She trailed off, Steve knitting his brows with some confusion. "To what?"
Giving a small, nervous laugh, Theresa pushed herself up a little straighter. She was not sure how to word her question.
"To be able to tell someone that you... that you love them."
Steve slowly began to smile, rubbing his nose. "It's easy, when you really love them."
Tess began to nod, resting her arms around her knees as she pondered that.
"When do you know?"
Steve adjusted himself, raising a shoulder. "Well... it's a feeling. It starts really deep down, at first. And then one day you just look at them, and it hits you. Like– like this huge, overwhelming wave of so much happiness that you don't know what to do with it."
He brought his eyes to meet hers. Theresa had a racing heart, pressing her lips into a smile.
"I wish it could be that easy for me," she softly whispered, her eyes never leaving his. "I've never been good at telling people how I feel."
Steve gave a quiet laugh. "You're improving."
She dropped her head, grinning for a moment. Once Tess looked back up at him, she realized that she felt that feeling in which Steve had been describing. That overwhelmingly beautiful wave of happiness.
"Can I tell you why I love you?"
Theresa raised her eyebrows, unable to respond before Steve was continuing.
"The first thing I ever noticed about you was how confident you were," Steve said, leaning his head against the stall. "Even as a middle school girl, you didn't take shit from anyone. You were smart, and you knew it. And deep down, I always told myself I'd never have a chance with you– it was stupid to even think that. Anyway, the second thing I noticed about you was how everyone would immediately look at you when you walked into a room. Like we all just knew that you were better than us."
