one year later

by


First Sunday brunch at VSC, September 2011. The night before, my new friends sang karaoke, their voices shiny and confident and proud, and I stood on the sidelines clutching a beer, taking it all in, having fun nonetheless. Awkward people can have the time of their lives, too.

I remember missing the third and last brunch at the Red Mill, and I remember how hot that day was. We walked over to the coffee shop with the creaky floors and parked our elbows on the counter, still sleepy; it took forever to decide on the perfect sandwich. The waitress turned her back just as I was ordering an iced latte, and I thought she hadn't heard but minutes later there was a tall glass in front of me, clinking, cold, sweet. Mine.

We laughed about playground sound effects, the fwoosh of cars and the zoom-zoom-zoom of planes, and talked to strangers. It was nice, and it was a long time ago.

Part of me wishes you can meet the person I am today. So much, and not a lot, has changed.