The first time August met Chase was at the gym. Curious to a fault, August had tagged along with Her to meet the mysterious gym partner. She took an immediate liking to him. He was nerdy, but seemed friendly enough without any immediate flaws. She wasn’t shallow; she just believed people should present themselves to the best of their ability as a respect to others. She thought about the first day as Chase walked her home to her apartment.
“Do you remember the first day we met?” She questioned.
“At the gym right?”
“Yeah, I remember being curious about you.”
“You’re always curious.”
“Aren’t you glad I was, or else we might have never met,” She flipped her dreds at the idea of never having met Chase. It made her heart hurt.
“Of course I am. But we would have met regardless.”
“How do you know?”
“I just do. If not then, then later…it’s only logical. Once you became friends with her, you were bound to meet me.”
She sighed; he was as romantic as a bag of peanuts on Valentines Day.
“Aren’t you worried about her? Even a bit?”
“Of course I am, but she will get over it. Besides picking at her wounds won’t solve anything. Just give her time.”
“And us?”
“What about us?
“You are going to pretend there is nothing between us?” Seeing her friend in pain made her realize, she had to address this thing between them before it was too late. She couldn’t imagine a life avoiding Chase, like her friend was her crush.
“No, I am not pretending. I just didn’t realize you were ready to talk about it.”
“Well I am.”
“What do you want to talk about?”
“You’re really going to make me start? Fine, I really like you Chase, so much it bothers me sometimes, but you’re right I don’t know if I am ready for the type of relationship we deserve.”
“I understand.”
“You do?”
“Of course, I know I don’t say it much. But I do get it. We are at different points in life, you want to get established, and I want to explore the world. You want to make your name; I want to scratch my name into every continent. And I really like you too…if that wasn’t obvious”
She gave him a genuine smile and then continued, “And you’re okay with that? Us not being together?”
“No, I am not. But sometimes it’s better to wait for the right moment to start something, than to rush in and ruin it forever. “
“I don’t want to do that,” she whispered.
“August,” he held her hands in his and stopped walking, “look at me.” He waited till she did. “I promise you my feelings and I aren’t going anywhere, we will be right here until we, me AND you, are both ready.”
“What if that takes decades?”
“Then it will take decades. For now take it one day at a time. Think of it this way, there are worse things in life than waiting for the right moment.”
“Like realizing there never will be one?” She thought back to Her.
“Precisely,” he let go as he pushed up his glasses and his frown deepened.
As they resumed walking, she reached for his hand again and together they walked the familiar path to her place, not knowing where their relationship was heading but taking comfort that it had a future, however far in the distance.
For the Love of notion 