The Art of Catching Feelings

by Alicia Thompson

He hadn’t heard it in years, decades, but the minute he’d heard it shouted by that fan it had immediately brought him back. To a time when he was young, and hopeful. To a time when his brother was alive.

“I just want someone to know me,” Daphne said. “To love me for who I am but to also push me to be who I want to be.”

He bit his lip to stop the smile from spreading across his face before realizing that no one was watching him. He could smile as wide as he wanted.

Like reading a book the first time is like a perfect first date. It’s exciting, there are sparks, you’re discovering new things about the other person and yourself, you end your night thinking, WOW, yes, this is something special. But the point of a good first date is to set yourself up for more dates. A lifetime together, maybe.

“And that you really, really loved her. You said it hurt, how much you loved her.”

I do love you, Daphne. I fell in love with you twice—first with your words and your kindness and the way talking to you always felt like the best surprise and the greatest comfort all at the same time. Then I fell in love with you—with your laugh and your generosity and the way you make everything else brighter. You’re the book I want to reread. For the rest of my life.”

“She told me that my goal couldn’t be not to have regrets, or not to feel sad, or not to ever experience any bad emotion ever. Those are all inevitable. My goal has to be to find ways to live my life even with those feelings in it, to leave space in my life for those feelings even.”