Dash

by Shantel Tessier

Have you ever been with a man who made you feel confident? Beautiful? That was how he made me feel.

“I choose you, Tabatha. You’re better than any dream I have ever had. Because you are real. You’re right here in front of me.”

In the end, ‘promise’ is just a word spoken to prevent the inevitable that no one wants to see coming. I promise I love you. I promise you’re my everything. I promise not to hurt you. Do you see a pattern? Promise makes you think that you have a chance. A candy-coated word to sweeten the pot.

I would pay every dime I have to put Dash and me in a bubble where we could live happily ever after. Where no one else can touch what we have.

“I fell in love with him because of the way he made me feel. Not my feelings toward him, but my feelings toward myself. I lit up when he walked into a room. I had a smile on my face that wouldn’t go away. My skin would tingle whenever he would look at me.” Her eyes drop to the cut on my lip, and I lick it nervously. Her eyes meet mine once again, and she continues. “I loved myself first. I fell in love with the person who I was when he was around. And in loving myself, I fell in love with him.”

“Give love a chance. It doesn’t matter if your heart breaks a hundred times. You’ll eventually open your heart to that one person who makes all that pain go away. It’ll be that one love that’s worth it.”

I’m at my best when I’m with you. I feel strong when you hold my hand. I feel loved when you cuddle with me. I love the way you make me feel about myself. Not what you try to make me be.”

if you just give me the chance, I will show that I can be just as strong as you.”

Winning that race last week made me realize that was only half of my dream. The other half was having her there with me.

swear, it doesn’t matter how old you are, you will always need your mother.

Because Dash taught me that you’re never guaranteed tomorrow. And yesterday is never enough.