Understanding the different stages relationships go through, from dating to commitment.
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 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
We pulled into Lakeview around 4pm on a cold Saturday in October. I had not driven that exit in almost six years. He asked which way to turn before I could even point. I realized I had never once described my own town out loud to him. Every street suddenly felt like a small test … Read more
Our waitress stood ready at 9:40 on a cold Saturday. We both said no onions at the exact same second. He laughed first and asked how long we had been doing that. I honestly could not tell him when it started. That diner booth is where I understood this stage every relationship goes through. It … Read more
It was a Saturday barbecue in his backyard, late July, almost dusk. A woman walked in through the side gate holding a pasta salad. My boyfriend lit up and said her name before I even asked. That was the night I met Casey, the ex he stayed friends with. I had heard the name once … Read more
Ryan picked me up outside my office at 7pm last Thursday after a huge presentation. I still had my badge on. I slid into the car expecting the usual how did it go question. Instead he just said I’m proud of you. That exact phrase had never come out of his mouth before in two … Read more
At 4:15 pm I sat on our fire escape holding my phone. A recruiter had just offered me a great role in Seattle. Caleb and I had only been living in the same city for one year. Seattle would have meant putting the miles back between us. We had only just finished closing the distance … Read more
It was 9:15 on a Sunday morning in March when he grabbed a second cart. He rolled it toward the produce section before I even asked. We had closed the distance two years earlier after three years apart. Grocery shopping together was still new for us back then. For most of that time I shopped … Read more
My cousin Reese got married in a barn outside Asheville last October. My boyfriend came as my plus one for the very first time. I had been to plenty of weddings alone before that weekend. Bringing someone who mattered changed the whole shape of the day. We got the invite in June and RSVP’d together … Read more
On a Sunday last October, I stood in our hallway pulling my coat on. My boyfriend looked up and said, just put it on the calendar. I had been doing that for three weeks and it still felt strange. A shared calendar sounds tiny until you actually live inside one. We closed the distance two … Read more
