How to Love You

12

October 3

You kept glancing over at me from the passenger seat with that recently familiar dazed look of yours throughout the entire car ride. Occasionally, our eyes would meet and you would quickly look away to avoid an awkward encounter between us. Secretly, I enjoyed those brief moments where we would make eye contact; it symbolized that you actually wanted to look at me and I wasn't some hideous beast to you.

As I pulled into the vacant parking lot for Meadow Beach, your eyes lit up at the sight before us. The tide was rolling in onto the sandy shore, and the sun was just beginning to rise over the distant island. The rhythmic sound of the waves crashing down mesmerized you, as you stared in awe at the open sea. It was almost as if you've never seen a beach before, or at least you didn't remember seeing one.

Meadow Beach holds a special place in my heart; it was our first date.

Back in 2014, our relationship just barely existent, but our connection still undeniable. Originally, we chose another location for our first date. We had wanted to go to the tip of a popular cliff overlooking the seas, but when we arrived, it was way too crowded with curious teens, irresponsibly scoping the area. You pouted momentarily, and then, with that same spark that you have now, you noticed the small empty beach further down; thus Meadow Beach became a memorable location for us.

The date was everything I had hoped for; our conversations flowed endlessly, we laughed at random moments, and neither of us stopped smiling till the end of the night when we had to part ways. I knew we had something special that day, I knew we were gonna be an inseparable match.

Now, as I stand next to you gazing out towards the endless sea, it's like we are strangers. You, of course, make polite conversation about how nice the beach looks and how the wind is gonna mess up your hair, but that was it. There was no deep exchanges, where you discussed your true emotions, and there was no cuddling up on the beach or kissing one another gently through the seaweed smelling air.

Meadow Beach may not have been successful in the sense of bringing back your memory, but it did something for me alright; it reminded me that I had to keep trying for us.