We were curled up on the couch, a blanket draped over us like a cozy cocoon. I had chosen the movie—a rom-com I'd watched at least three times before.
Carmen had rolled her eyes when I told her, but I could see the amusement dancing in her gaze.
She loved to tease me about my predictable taste in movies, but deep down, I knew she didn't mind. She liked watching me laugh, and rom-coms always made me laugh.
The movie was exactly what you'd expect: quirky misunderstandings, a slow-burn romance, and a climax where the couple realized they'd been in love all along. Predictable? Absolutely. But it didn't matter.
I leaned into Carmen, my head resting on her shoulder, feeling her arm wrap securely around me. Her warmth seeped through her shirt, and I sighed in contentment.
"You know," I said softly, my eyes still on the screen, "for all its clichés, this movie gets me every time. It's comforting."