Late Night Drives
Jonathan ValaniaMay 25th, 2025
11:35 pm
I texted her,
“I’ve got a surprise for you.”
Waiting for the rejection.
She answered,
“What is it?”
And sounded happy.
“I can’t tell you — just meet me at work at midnight.”
She showed up.
“I’m kidnapping you.
We’re going for a drive.
I brought your favorite snacks —
hot cocoa, sour gummy worms, and more.
I know you’ve been feeling down.”
She smiled wide.
As we pulled out of the lot,
the vanilla scent lingered,
wrapping the car like a memory.
It pulled me back to that night at Berks,
when our friendship felt so natural—
where we both were heard,
where we were finally seen.
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Sentencing