“You see, I don’t know why I did it,” he declared as if he hadjust discovered the cure for cancer. But the only thing he haddiscovered was yet another way to piss me off.”

“I know you will do what your heart tells you,” he addedquietly.And I did. Not what my head was whispering, but what myheart was shouting. I put my arms around his neck pulling himcloser.”

“OK, that is better. I want to talk seriously,” he said anxiously.“I…you see…well….it’s just…”“Wow, Damon, slow down. I didn’t prepare myself for suchan intellectual conversation,” I interrupted, still looking at the gymguy. I smiled to him and he smiled back. Out of the corner of myeye, I noticed Damon didn’t like that at all.”

“He called and we saw each other from time to time, but thedistance did what it always does - it grew us apart.”

“Listen, Elena, after high school I left and I had a lot ofrelationships and nothing seemed right to me. But I rememberedyou often. You can say that we were kids back then and that thatwas kids’ stuff... and maybe it was. But now, when I am not a childanymore, there isn’t a doubt in me that it simply has to be you or noone else. I don’t want you to be the one that got away, at least notwithout a fight.”

“Every night I went to bed promising myself I would tell himgoodbye in the morning and leave. But along with the morningsalways came new reasons to delay that, new places to see. I knew Iwas only making excuses for myself, but there was no one toreproach me, so I figured it was OK.”

“Let me clarify something for you, Damon. There is the simplepresent tense, which is used to describe things that take place in thepresent, simple past tense that describes things that occurred in thepast. And then there is the tense that is used to describe the chancessomething has to happening. You should know about it, you justused it. It is called the simply impossible tense.”