Day 22: Coffee and a Smile Cure Me

I couldn’t sleep all morning, certain Nina was reading my sad account of love in the time of H5N1. I cascaded through clicks as she worked, or interfaced, or IM’d her pals. I expected to wake up to a harangue, a torrent of accusations. Or worse, alone.

She greeted me in a good mood, bearing a big mug of my favorite health drink, coffee (which fights liver disease, among its many benefits). I’ve learned to appreciate a happy Nina without asking questions.

COLD, LIQUID ENERGY THAT'S GOOD FOR YOUWe even went for a walk. I’ve been thinking she may be depressed for want of sunlight.

We enjoyed our escape, although the East Village looks shabby and lots of places are closed. I ran into a friend who talked so fast we couldn’t wait to get away. It was almost a relief to discover that everyone else has gone nuts, too. Nina smiled a lot. Gleaming dark eyes lit up her goggles. She took my hand. We couldn’t wait to get home but we took our time anyway.

We bared our teeth and lips, kissed all over the East Village. I’d completely forgotten the thrills of public microbialism.

I shouldn’t have posted all those things about her yesterday. We barely knew one another when we got into this. When the First Wave subsides, I hope she and I recover our souls during the hiatus. We can learn to explore better, trust more, take more pleasure surviving Wave Two.

It really was an excellent day here!