Second Chance Summer

by Morgan Matson

“You said you didn’t want to waste your time on people who aren’t going to matter,” I said, and he nodded. “But how do you know they’re not going to matter? Unless you give it a shot?”

I tried to shut out the feelings that were hurting my heart with a thousand tiny pinpricks, which was somehow worse than having it broken all at once.

“The thing is that people only get hurt—really hurt—when they’re trying to play it safe. That’s when people get injured, when they pull back at the last second because they’re scared. They hurt themselves and other people.”

I knew in that moment that things would be forever different—that today was going to be a day that split my life into before and after.

And I’ve realized that the Beatles got it wrong. Love isn’t all we need—love is all there is.