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LOVE | VULNERABILITY
My Weekend Van Date With a Woman I Barely Knew
You’ll never know unless you go
I place an armload of firewood in a camper van. Ellen, a woman I haven’t seen in 35 years, does the same. We’re two people who talked a bit in high school, hours into a weekend camping date and 80 miles from Tucson, where Ellen left her rental car. No turning back now.
Birds and nervous vibes pierce the desert silence. The Arizona sun hangs low above distant rock outcroppings, and horizon lines are visible in every direction. I crack the larger pieces of wood with more force than needed. The rough bark and splinters remind me this isn’t a dream.
Our eyes lock like we just recognized each other in passing at a busy airport.
I crack up and say, “What the fuuuuuck?”
Fragile Butterflies
Ellen’s divorce, my break-up, and social media led us here. After a five-year relationship ended, I posted about being shattered and needing virtual hugs. It…
