Anniversary Starter

Wednesday, October 2, 2013 marked 15 years since Nick and I kissed on our friend Jasmine’s back porch in Hyde Park, Chicago. We’ve been together ever since.

We had circled each other warily for nearly a year—dated, broke up, argued, kissed, avoided each other, hung out late and kissed again—and after a summer mostly apart, we were on an official date. Nick had declared his love and I had said I would go out with him. He was late to pick me up (he told me later that he almost didn’t come at all). We went to Jasmine’s party, but didn’t tell anyone we were on a date. We figured that it would probably end badly, again. On the way home, I threw up out of sheer nerves (I’d had about half of a drink). I guess I could tell that this was something big. Nick kissed me again, anyway. I know that doesn’t sound very romantic, but it truly was.