Content

As I finish up a couple things and get ready for bed, I take a moment to pause and soak in my surroundings: 

~ Netflix plays on the TV, while the pedestal fan softly hums in the corner. 

~ Soft classical music plays in a nearby apartment; the sound of it melds with the slight rain falling outside, the mix enters quietly through the screen door. 

~ A text message pings in; a reassuring message from a friend.

~ Arturo hides behind the toilet, Manny sprawls in the middle of the living room, and Queen Roy stands watch over the water bowl. 

~ Buster is in rabbit jail facing assault charges, while Apollo wanders the apartment aimlessly. 

~ A pecan-pumpkin-cake scented candle burns on the coffee table, emitting a soft glow and releasing a sweet aroma. 

~ The faint breeze coming from outside adds a freshness to the apartment; the fuzzy warmth of a hoodie enhances the near-perfect level of comfort.

~ My partner snores gently on the couch across the room; a peaceful representation of chaos experienced mere hours ago.

This is my Sunday night. It is not what I envisioned as a child. This life is not the innocent fairy tale ending I dreamed of throughout my adolescence. As a young adult, I did not imagine this as a path I would take. No part of this depicts the result of any five-year plan I've come up with in my past. 

But thank God plans change. This is better than the visions I had as a kid. This is happier than the storybook ending a teenage version of myself dreamt of. This bumpy road has led me to the happiest place in my life. No part of this is typical, but every part is glorious. 

I am more in love with myself than ever before in those previous life plans. I am overwhelmed in these moments where I feel completely content.

This is imperfect, messy, and completely unpredictable. Perhaps that's why this is my happily ever after. 

More graffiti later,

~A