Purify Me

13

EPISODE 13.

Diana's POV

Bryan and I were sitting at a cozy coffee shop, laughing and gossiping about silly stuff, just like we used to.

"Bryan, when did you come to New York?" I asked, sipping my hot coffee.

"Let's just say two weeks ago," he replied.

"And you never contacted me?" I asked, frowning.

"Come on, little bird, you changed your contacts, didn't you?" he asked, glancing around the room.

"But I never changed my social media accounts, right?" I replied with a question of my own.

"Are you mad?" he asked, focusing fully on me. He wasn't even trying to hide how much he enjoyed looking at me.

"No, I am so mad, punk," I answered, pouting. Bryan tilted his head, looking at me with amusement.

"That's a good thing then, because I won a trophy," he murmured.

"Meaning?" I frowned.

"Your birthday is in the next few months; I have something for you," Bryan said, adjusting his seat.

"I would ask, but I know who I'm friends with," I replied, knowing he wouldn't tell me. Bryan burst out laughing, his dimples showing. I've admired Bryan since childhood, and I always feel happy just being around him.

I stared at him, forgetting everything else. The only thing that mattered was my friend, whom I hadn't seen in eight months.

"When are you visiting?" I asked.

"You mean your house? Oh, about that, it will be on your birthday," Bryan replied.

"Oh, okay," I murmured.

"We should start heading back home; it's getting dark," Bryan said. He called a waitress, paid the bill, and we left the shop.

---

Mom and I were seated at the dinner table, eating our food. The sound of our plates and cutlery echoed softly.

"Mom, I met someone today," I said excitedly. Mom looked at me.

"Who is that?" she asked curiously.

"Guess," I replied.

Mom sighed. "Dian, you know I'm not good at guessing, so just tell me." She watched me practically dancing with excitement.

"It's Bryan," I replied.

Mom paused, staring at me for a moment, then she screamed happily. "Bryan? You mean your childhood sweetheart?" she asked. I felt myself blush. I won't deny that I used to like Bryan that way, but things are different now.

Mom chuckled, looking at my bright red face. "Mom, that was then. I don't have those feelings for him anymore."

"Why? Bryan is a good guy, and if it were possible, I would have gotten you two engaged. By the way, it's not too late," Mom replied teasingly.

"Mom!" I called out, annoyed by her comment. Mom has known Bryan since the day my father died. I had gone missing, and she was almost frantic searching for me, only to find me hugging little Bryan. It was a foundational moment, and ever since then, I never stopped talking about how he saved me. Bryan visited often until we moved out of town and came to New York.

"Have you told him yet?" Mom asked.

I frowned, confused. "About what?"

"Your feelings," Mom replied, watching me eat my food.

"Mom, that was just a childhood crush. I'm a grown-up now, and I have someone else in my heart, even though I have no idea if he feels the same way. The problem is we don't communicate, and if we ever do, it leads to a fight." I sighed, still picking at my plate.

Mom scoffed. "Having trouble with a guy?" she asked, gaining a nod from me.

"One thing that hurts the most in this world is having a one-sided love, especially with teens," Mom said thoughtfully.

"I thought adult love hurts the most?" I questioned.

Mom laughed. She drank from her orange juice and stared into space for a moment. "No matter what I say, you won't get it, so what's the point of explaining? Just wait until you're fully an adult; maybe then you'll know. You will get to know the difference between adult love and teen love."

I was confused, trying to figure out what she meant. I only had one question: what is so different between teen love and adult love?

The night ended with Mom and me spending time watching Netflix together.