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]
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]
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.
From: [email protected]
Date: February 15, 2020
Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day?
It’s not sappy. I agree. And it’s a cool thought. If I’m ever back in Irvine for good, I’ll drop you a line. You do the same.
And I’m so glad that you found what sparks you.
Happy Valentine’s Day, T.
Chapter Eight
2021
From: [email protected]
Date: February 13, 2021
Subject: Happy Early Valentine’s Day!
Yes, I am four hours early! And no I don’t care! I WIN!
I know we said last year that if we were both going to be in Irvine we were going to connect, but I guess that plan doesn’t work when we’re in the midst of a global pandemic. I thought about you a lot this past year, though. I hope that doesn’t sound weird. Around May and June, especially, I wondered whether you were bummed to not be getting a graduation ceremony. You were just on my mind a lot. I don’t know why I didn’t email. It felt like I’d be breaking the rules, I guess.
Did you get to start graduate school this past fall? Are you still in Irvine? Or, I guess, did you ever come back?
I came home in March. Our school had a 3-day move out, and it was chaos, but I made it back here and finished the year online. I decided to delay my junior year because I didn’t want to do everything virtually, so I’ll go back in the fall. It sucks a little to be behind a year now, but my major isn’t one that’s easy to do outside of the classroom. I spent the last 7-8 months coaching kids’ [sport redacted per the D&P Rule Book, lol, why are we still doing this?] and it’s been so fun and good to be outside as much as possible.
Anyway, Happy Valentine’s Day, C. I hope you’re doing okay.
T.
From: [email protected]
Date: February 13, 2021
Subject: Re: Happy Early Valentine’s Day!
Haha sneaky, but I guess I can’t protest since I started the early email trend. Happy Valentine’s Day, T.
Woof, yeah, the last year has been wild, hasn’t it?
I did come home last March when school shut down. My whole family holed up in the house and I have to admit, it was actually great at first, despite the way it felt like the world was ending all around us. It sucked not getting to walk at graduation but initially we all felt grateful to be healthy and together. Lots of game nights, cooking, together time.
I don’t really know how to say this, or whether I even should, because it isn’t like we really know each other outside of this day, but I know that your mother went through some health issues back in 2019, and at this point it does feel like you know me. Seven years, now, we’ve been doing this.