How to Be "Buddies"

1. a home-cooked meal: It's been a long day, but not long enough to turn down company. You spent hours (or minutes) in front of the stove (or microwave), but anything would be worth it for this. After eating, you can move to the couch and throw on a movie and try not to stare whenever they laugh at a joke you've told a million times before, eyes crinkling and hand moving to stifle their smile and--and you can look back at the screen to realize you missed a plot point (or ten). You can feel nauseous when you decide that you don't care.