Dating vignettes: a pandemic

We met in early March (online!). I don’t date online very much and I was not feeling very optimistic. It is a bunch of people with mostly the same face asking if you want to go to a show. But then someone asked me if I wanted to knit at the library. And I can’t say no to knitting at the library.

Our second date was on March 12th. The world was starting to unravel around us and already my work hours had been cut but we went rock climbing and I was glad to have a reason to not read the news. We made food at his apartment and later I fell asleep on his shoulder and when I woke up I thought who is this stranger that let me sleep on his shoulder? And who is this stranger that I allowed myself to sleep on his shoulder? And wow I think I really needed that.

We saw each other one more time before it was official: THERE’S A PANDEMIC. We started talking on the phone and the conversations passed hours. He had no roommates and said I should come over. I told him my roommates weren’t okay with it. He was understanding. He said, I will do whatever makes it most likely for me to see you again.

And so we kept talking. Weeks turned into a month. The shutdown dragged on. Then one day he said, this is too hard. It makes me sad, he said. Yes it is kind of sad. I don’t think I can do this. I am trying to work things out with my roommates so we can see each other. I can’t do this, he said. Call me when you’re free.

In the bright, beating month of May each day is a little longer than the last. And I waited. And I talked to my roommates who were nothing less than gracious with me. And thirteen days later I told him I am free now! But no matter: he was gone.