The Man She Wants

She wants a man who will think of her as a strong, confident woman.

But she also wants that man to look at her with eyes shining in wonder when she suddenly asks him to join her for a Barbie movie marathon. She wants that man to let out a small chuckle as he hides the confusion in his head. She wants that man to pause for a while, lean in and just stare into her eyes until he internally finds out that she’s showing him the side of her that she rarely gives anyone. She wants that man to smile, one that's so wide it reaches his eyes, as he realizes. She wants that man to pinch her cheeks and simply say "okay," before giving her a light kiss on her forehead. She wants that man to stay behind in the kitchen for a while, and appear beside her a few moments later with a warm cup of coffee, not too sweet and not too bitter, for them to share later. She wants that man to empty his hands for him to hold her closer. She wants the warmth from his palm to soothe her, that even if he himself does not appreciate how hopeful for different kinds of love the leads are, he’s there to prove that she’s got hers. She wants that man to occasionally check on her just to see if she’s suddenly fallen asleep, or smile to himself when he sees that her sparkling eyes show how she's so into the happy endings on-screen. She wants that man to glance at the time, gently stroking her hair as she watches the last few movies, as if knowing she’ll get to sleep sooner and comfortably that way. She wants that man to carefully take her arms off him to set the laptop down, and silently get the blanket for the two of them. She wants that man to sleep beside her, arms around her like she’s the child version of herself who believes in happy ever afters. She wants that man to finally know that she may be a strong, confident woman, but she still secretly loves fairy tales. She wants that man to kiss her goodnight as he secretly thinks of himself as a strong, confident match for her.

And if he does, he is.