No match for a mud puddle.
We met at an employee Christmas party at a place where I didn’t work. Open the bar. We traded lipstick colors and a kiss. Later, we went on a sprawling epic of a date: ping pong, Louisiana swamps at night (no flashlights), roller skating, gas station wine and ooey-gooey cake. I moved out of state and lost Jon’s number when my flip phone fell into a mud pit. We completely lost touch, but I never forgot it. Six years later, I moved back to New Orleans and walked into a bar. There was June. Turns out, she never forgot me either. – Amanda Casasa
A small, loving habit
As far back as I can remember, my mother, Jung Shin, sat next to me at meal times until I finished every bite. I thought she would stay if I needed anything, but her habit persisted into adulthood. When my son was born, she moved from Seoul to Chicago and did the same for him—a small, loving habit that has been passed down through the generations. Now, a father of two, I get it. It wasn’t about the food; She just wanted to be with me. Even though she is gone now, when I eat alone, I still feel her presence, her love filling the empty chair. – Usak Day
Signs in concrete
A naïve Jew and an adamant atheist, we nevertheless felt that we would receive a divine confirmation of our love when we reached an old sidewalk in our new city with our names inscribed on it. Years before we knew each other, “Laura and Dan” was a pairing that was already permanently written. Half a block down, we discovered another cement square with both sets of our initials. How can this be? Of course, this was extra cosmic confirmation! When you’re young and in love, simple coincidences connect with a sacred dimension. – Laura Stifel Moore
Abolished the family plan.
It wasn’t really over until I got rid of your family plan. Netflix Glared: Sign Up or Sign In? It hurt more than it should have. I have been using your account for several months since distribution. Every time I sneaked an episode here, a rom-com there, I swelled with anticipation. Every cinematic victory convinced me that you would call to comment. I wonder who is sharing your account now. I wonder which profile she will choose, if she and your younger sister watch cartoons, I know she will like it. I wonder if my recommendations still populate your screen, a collection of algorithms, infinite what-ifs. – Ella Chun