The first time I met her I was in high school. I went with a buddy of mine to his girlfriend’s friends house one Saturday night back when we were barely sixteen. We were still getting dropped off by our parents when we went out. It was the summer before we all stared partying. Before we spend our weekends tearing apart someones houses getting wasted we used to eat cheeseballs and play board games. I remember that night we played sorry while the girls parents kept bringing us down snacks periodically.

That whole night I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. She has such beautiful dark brown eyes and when she smiled her eyes would squint like mine and I found that wicked cute. I had no idea how to talk to girls then. I’ll be honest I still have no idea how to talk to girls, so I spent the entire night staring at her from across the board game. It only took that one night for her smile to be imbedded in my brain.

When my buddy and his girlfriend broke up that following year, I saw her significantly less. The one time I did see her was during the summer when we all started partying together. A mutual friend of ours was having us all over since his parents went up north for the weekend. He invited us all over and I was able to see her again. We were both a year older and she is more attractive than I remembered. I found myself next to her in the kitchen for a short minute together and cherished that moment. I never forget how I got her to laugh that night, it sent chills down my spine.

Tragically that was the end of it. We lost contact after that. I drifted away from that group of friends and she went on and found her own. Seldom did we ever cross paths anymore. If we ever did it was only a glance from across the room or a smile almost cursed from being able to talk to each other. It was never enough but it was enough to satisfy my ego and convince myself that there’s a chance one day. Even though I had no idea if that day was ever going to come.

I came home for my sisters wedding. I had no intentions of seeing anyone but my family for the next three days. But I had that extra night after the wedding and didn’t want to waste it alone. I found myself swiping right on all the apps hoping to find some conversation or some companionship for the night. I needed something.

I’ve never been so lucky before in my life. I found her, after all these years, on one of those dating apps. I swiped right faster than you could say, “Jack Rabbit.” It felt like forever after I messaged her I was siting there waiting for a response. I keep refreshing the app hoping that she would give me some attention. I’ve always wanted her attention and tonight was my chance. It was maybe twenty minutes later she messaged me back and conversation started. It was maybe another twenty minutes later until she picked me up and we went to the lake to sit under the moonlit sky.

We sat by the lake, with its subtle current brushing up on the shore, for a couple hours simply talking to each other. I was curious about her story and the how she stood here so strongly, so confidently, so beautifully before me. Just as she was curious about what life was like for me in a new city. The entire night we talked our eyes never left one an others. This conversations has been preceded by years of opportunities missed and conversations we never had. We could finally be honest with each other.

I instantly glowed that moment she told me she had a crush on me. I reiterated to her that I’ve had a crush on her for sometime. I joked about how things would have been different if we said this earlier but in all honesty I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s been almost six years in the making and took an app to connect us form four miles away. I never thought I’d have a chance with her, I never thought I’d ever see her, but when I did was like everything I’ve dreamt about.