He walks into the living room wearing a bright orange button-down shirt with a matching tie emblazoned with a vast array of colors arranged in a fractal pattern. He holds two small glass vessels of drink. His green eyes gleam, meeting hers as she returns the look of appreciation. “An elixir for your cupid's bow my dear friend.” He sits down next to her handing one of the glasses.
Shifting her black satin skirt covered hips to the side while she crosses her legs, she dips her pinky ever so slightly into the drink and places the drop between her parted fuchsia lined lips. “Tequila. You brought my favourite.”
“Isn’t it all your favourite?” he replies with a clever smile.
She rolls her eyes, also smiling. “Shall we toast?”
“No. I've cut back on carbs.”
She laughs, “It's going to be a lonnnnnnnng night.”
“Not to sound cliche, but I feel like I never have enough hours in your company my sweet lady.” She rests her head on his shoulders, and he puts his arm around her. They both view the sunset cascading through the window. She downs her drink, while he takes the last sip of his share.
He turns to her and announces, “I agave you.”
She pops her head up flipping her dusty blonde wisps away from her eyes. Furrowing her brow and staring into his eyes while her shoulders lift the teal-coloured tank top to reveal just a quick peek of her stomach, “Do you mean Agape? You know how that word triggers me. Principled love? That has always seemed to be a stripped down and too easy of a term to give some perfunctory consolation to a person, especially one you already know, or one you have not built up a rapport.”
They remain silent for a moment listening to the clicks of the wall clock, now about 7:44 pm. He strokes the top of her hand as the palm rests atop the couch and replies, “Are you overthinking it? If you stop to help a neighbour or some rando trying to cross the street, that is a form of Agape. Anyone halfway polite can demonstrate this form of love, and they do often.”
“Well, why then point it out if it is simply a quasi-knee-jerk reaction to the whole ‘person-in-need’ motif? Do we need a moniker for this feeling or act of basic kindness?”
He nods and grins, “Sure, I understand your thesis. But allow me to add, our eyes see a very small portion of EM radiation, and when the bands within those wavelengths blast through droplets in the atmosphere as the sun slides below the horizon we get what is termed a sunset.” He now glides his index finger under his friend’s chin directing her eyes into his. “Agape goes beyond basic kindness for it is a deep demonstration of a human concern regardless of any relationship status. Consider it similar to ‘Phileo’ but extending to the entire human family. How many people can truly say they have this Agape form of love? Please allow me to point you to the daily news cycle, or just drive to your favourite grocery store. But regarding us right now, would you rather me use one of the other terms? Maybe one that starts with an ‘E’ and rhymes with primrose?”
She places her head back on his shoulder, and sighs deeply while looking at the bright pastel sky, “Let’s go with ‘agave’. Why ruin a good thing?”
DoubleSpeak 