Olivia Parker 
It was 6:40 on a Saturday evening in late March. Ethan told me to put on real shoes and get in his car. He would not say where we were going. I spent the whole 20 minute drive with my stomach in a tight knot. We pulled up to a pottery studio with six of … Read more
My friend Priya texted me from a Denver brewery one snowy Thursday in March. It was 7:35 at night, and her second date had just begun. Cole had walked in for trivia night with his buddy Marcus right behind him. He grinned and said “Marcus was bored, so I brought him” to her. Priya had … Read more
It was 7:45 on a Thursday in October at a brewery trivia night. Sam and I were losing badly at a tiny table for two. The couple next to us kept whispering answers about 1990s pop songs. Finally Sam leaned over and asked if they wanted to team up. Their names were Jess and Andre, … Read more
It was 9:20 on a sticky July Thursday night, and Ethan’s fan was rattling. I sat on his couch renewing his car registration on my laptop. It was already two weeks late, and he had a $25 fine coming. He kissed my head and said “you’re so good at this stuff” with a grin. I … Read more
A reader named Jenna wrote to me at 1:15 in the morning one hot July night. She had just come home from a first date in Atlanta. Derek had picked a fancy steakhouse in Buckhead for 8 that evening. He ordered a $190 bottle of wine before she even sat down. The final bill was … Read more
My friend Priya called me from a laundromat at 4:20 on a hot Sunday in August. Her ex Jordan had just liked a beach photo from 2022. It was the third old photo he had liked that week. Every one of them came from the summer they spent together. She read me the alert out … Read more
It was 8:05 on a Friday morning in late May at a new physical therapy clinic. The receptionist slid a clipboard across the counter. I filled in my address and insurance on autopilot. Then I hit the line for an emergency contact and froze. For my whole adult life, that line said Mom. She lives … Read more
My friend Talia turned thirty on a Saturday in late October. Her boyfriend Jordan booked a rooftop table in Chicago for 9:15 that night. Dessert came out with one candle and a ring box beside the plate. Jordan said “happy birthday, and will you marry me” in one breath. She said yes, and she meant … Read more
I said something unfair to Marcus at 8:15 on a Friday in November. We were at a loud Italian place, waiting on a basket of bread. He mentioned his brother had planned a weekend trip for his girlfriend. I said it must be nice to date someone who plans things. Marcus had planned that exact … Read more
It was 4:30 on a hot Saturday in July at Marcus’s company picnic. I stood by the lemonade table holding a plate of potato salad. Across the lawn, he was laughing with a coworker named Priya. They had an inside joke about a broken printer I did not get. Nothing was wrong, and I knew … Read more
