The Exception to the Rule (The Improbable Meet-Cute, #1) (5)
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: February 14, 2019
Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day It’s fine, I told you I have a younger brother. But omg that’s scary about the car accident. I totally get wanting to be home for that stuff. I have a little bit of a similar situation here. My mom is fine but had a lumpectomy in November for Stage I breast cancer, and it sucked not being there. Winter break was good for some Mom cuddles and hang time, but then coming back here where it’s freezing is hard.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: February 14, 2019
Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day Oh man, T, I’m sorry about your mom. I hope she makes a full recovery. How are you holding up?
And yeah, the weather is a rough transition, isn’t it?
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: February 14, 2019
Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day Thanks, C, I’m doing okay. Just trying to be helpful to her as much as possible. It looks like she will be okay, we caught it early.
And wait—did you break up with a girl the day before Valentine’s Day? You couldn’t give it 48 hours?
From: [email protected] To: [email protected]
Date: February 14, 2019
Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day I did. I know. A dick move. But she got 4 more months than she should have, according to my friends.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: February 14, 2019
Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day Oh was she mean to my friend c.sun16? Do I have a beef with this woman now?
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: February 14, 2019
Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day It wasn’t the healthiest relationship I’ve ever been in, I’ll say that. As one of my sisters reminded me, it’s always good to recognize what doesn’t work for me. So it’s all good.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: February 14, 2019
Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day It is all good. You get to be your own valentine today. Just like me. How’s this: let’s both go find a soup dumpling place and enjoy the hell out of it.
Happy Valentine’s Day,
T.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: February 14, 2019
Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day Perfect. I’ll eat a saucy, steamy dumpling in your honor.
Have a good one, T. See you back here next year, C.
Chapter Seven
2020
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: February 15, 2020
Subject: Happy Valentine’s Day?
Oh my god we both forgot. There will be no victor this year.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: February 15, 2020
Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day?
Oh noooooo, we suck! This makes me so sad!
I mean, to be fair, it’s a weird vibe right now? I’m not sure where you are, but things where I am are feeling . . . a little stressful.
I hope you had a great Valentine’s Day, though. Did you do anything fun? I’m going to get soup dumplings tonight in your honor.
From: [email protected] To: [email protected]
Date: February 15, 2020
Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day?
Yeah, I feel this, too. Be safe.
I didn’t do anything yesterday. Hung out with some friends, but nothing romantic.
How is your mom doing?
I’ll get some dumplings tonight, too.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: February 15, 2020
Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day?
My mom is doing great, thank you for remembering. She’s a badass.
Omg wait I just realized you graduate this spring! Congratulations! Do you know what you’re doing after college?
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: February 15, 2020
Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day?
Yeah, I’m headed to grad school in [you won’t want me to tell you what city] for [you won’t want me to tell you what program]. Also I meant to ask you whether you ever felt like you connected with something for your major? I know that had been stressing you out a bit.
From: [email protected] To: [email protected]
Date: February 15, 2020
Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day?
Good job, you badass! Is it weird that I just had a pang of sadness that I won’t be at your college graduation? I know we don’t know each other, really, and I don’t have any idea where you’re going to school, but in the past six years of change and chaos, you’ve been a constant. We come from the same hometown so in a way we do know each other. Or at least, we know where we come from. Maybe someday, way in the future, we’ll run into each other back in Irvine and I’ll just somehow know it’s you.
Anyway, I’m getting sappy. And re: my major, I did! Actually, I was happily plugging away as a psych major and then I took a [subject redacted] class with this new, young professor, and it was like a total revelation. I’m in love. Hoping to grad school it myself when I’m done.