so i spent all day at the lobby at work. well, not in the lobby. i was at work all day, and i was in the lobby all but two hours.

i sat on this couch that had a direct view to kim.

i read and drank my drink and looked up and watched her and read.

around her closing time, after she had counted to close, she had turned around in her big swivel chair and was looking at me.

she was bent over, her arms folded on the wall, her head resting on her arms.

the sun was near setting, early twilight, it was coming straight in behind her, lighting.

it hadnt really rained today, so the sky was clear.

the sun, too, was clear, because of this.

and she was looking right at me and smiling a little and my heart was everywhere.

in the palm of my hand, on my sleeve, in my eye.

before that, stephanie had sat next to me at the end of her break, so we could talk. and we were talking, and she was really making me laugh, and kim would look back over at us.

i would make eye contact with her, laughing all the while, and kim would just grin and turn back around.

she told me later that just hearing me laughing made her laugh. that she thought it was great.

all i could do was grin.