The Summer of 2011, in my living room. Eric’s cousin Taylene was sitting there with me one bored day and said,
“Why don’t you date my cousin, Eric?” I had confidence for days, so I said, “Aight.” And just like that, I sent the hottest thing I could think of: “hey. whatsup.” Those Facebook messages slowly turned into sweet good morning texts. The kind that make you smile before you even get out of bed. Then turning into one of our first dates, the cutest and awkward in the best way. A double date, Eric and his buddy (who was dating a friend of mine at the time). The boys invited us to Second Sand Beach. We packed floaties and drinks and took that long, beautiful drive out there. The girls were in the backseat, wind in our hair because the car was definitely one of Eric’s beaters, something he was always fixing up, and of course, it had no AC. I can still picture him speeding, going way too fast like he always does, trying to be cool. He was so cute then. A little chubby. A little nerdy. Definitely a bad boy from across the bay. And me? I was the girl from across the bay in the other direction, who had just been accepted to the University of Michigan. I was soaking up one last summer ray before running away to start my big life. That day, Lake Superior treated us well. The water was shallow and warm for June, shocking. We floated and laughed and drifted. Eric doesn’t swim. I know that now, he rather not. He doesn’t do cold. Usually, I have to beg him to get to the beach, unless it’s to jet ski! But that day? He was swimming. Jumping in. Falling over. Clumsy. Losing his floaty. And then asking to share mine.