To the one who stayed for a few seasons

Running late, I rushed into the restaurant. I saw the table in the back corner. Walking over, I greeted my friend with a hug and wished him a happy birthday. I spotted an empty chair at the end of the table. As I sat down and took off my coat, a hand reached to help me pull out the chair. I looked up, a handsome man with short blonde hair, masculine jawline, and blue eyes the color of sea glass was staring down at me.

A and I spent the night talking, we almost forgot we were there for a birthday party. I had just gotten in my car accident a few weeks prior, and I showed him photos, he commented on the mess inside the car. The next few weeks was filled with bantering text messages.

Valentine’s Day was coming up, there must have been something in the water. That year, I had seven men ask me out. I could not decide and kept dragging my feet. On Feb 13, a text asking me to go out for Valentine’s came across under A’s name. I rubbed my eyes in disbelief, we had not seen each other since the birthday party. My fingers automatically typed out; sure, I would love that. Why did I agree so quickly? We barely knew each other.

That night I showed up at the restaurant in a royal blue dress. The night was filled with lighthearted teasing and laughter. That was the start of a relationship meant to only last a few seasons. We started spending a few evenings together going to eat, long walks, and rides in his BMW. That was his baby and at one point he even made a comparison between the both of us.

The connection made it fun, easy, and effortless. We connected on an emotional level and there was no expectation of anything physical. As much chemistry as we had, we never even kissed. There were nights spent watching The Blacklist snuggled up on his couch, holding hands as we walked along the streets, and sharing intricate details about our lives. There was no expectation other than companionship, I had recently gotten out of a long-term relationship, and he was moving at some point.

We spent the summer watching the World Cup, trying new coffee shops, and just basking in each other’s company.

Our journey started in the middle of winter, blossomed in spring, and faded by the end of summer. He moved away and we parted on good terms with a handful of photos left behind as a reminder of our time together through three seasons.