//Forever//

TJ and I met on the hump day before my second semester at MUSC started. He picked our date location at Shem Creek Bar & Grill, conveniently close to my apartment. I changed my outfit so many times because it was the first Tinder date I was nervous about. I took a shot before leaving the house, and turned up 30 minutes late. TJ was waiting patiently on the steps of the restaurant with a strained face I've seen many times since. His face softened once he knew he hadn't been stood up. We talked about our travels and families over seafood platters and wine, and sealed the night with a kiss by his big green rape van. Next day, I showed up to his house in the hood to check out a new guitar he got and had our first jam sesh. Came back downtown later that night with my girlfriends and met up with him at the end of the night, sat on Calhoun Street with my aching feet after a long night of dancing, and forced TJ to carry me on his back approximately 10 blocks to my friend's house. He passed the test! Next day, he told me he was going to sea for 3 months. WOMP, just my luck. About a week later, I felt really melancholy driving around Mt Pleasant running errands, and realized it was because I hadn't heard from TJ since he'd left. BUZZ, text from him. I got chills and had one of those moments. So we stayed in touch with a lot of texts, a few phone calls, and one letter while he was gone, building on our shared musical interests, similar but head-butting views on the world, and humor. As soon as I knew he was back from sea, he picked me up in his dad's old green pick up truck to a fun date at Coconut Joe's, and we've been love struck ever since.