[Maple] July 5th. I was wearing a ripped St. Vitus shirt and shorts and you came up from the ocean and you were like, hey, and I said hey, and it wasn’t on sight. But then we went to the bar to watch soccer and back to your house and it turned into magic so fast. 

[Pat] July 5th. Soccer, cards, rain storm, piña, darts, Tesla mattress, playlist, cigarette outside, market at the bar, skinny dip. 

[Maple] And we kissed. And the best first date ever happened after. Salsa dancing to Charli XCX, skinny dipping in the ocean, listening to music for hours. 

[Pat] July 6th. Meat plate, fruit bucket, iced coffee boardwalk, story about Winona Ryder (?). Apps & wrap girl. Wobbly. More soccer. Bird shit. Beermosa. Man City & David Beckham. Ramen. Good bye. 

[Maple] July 7. I got to Puerto Rico on what should have been a solo trip. That night I was at a bar with myself after a day of being at the beach with myself, and I texted you, or maybe it was the other way around, and you asked me how my trip was. The next day, you booked a flight.

[Pat] July 8th. Work. Wait for boss to come in PM. Puerto Rico. Have to go. Check w the team. Flight booked. Airport. Stress. You’re driving? Insane. Thank you. You care. Flight delay, thanks for the texts. New York sweater.

[Maple] Waiting for you in my rental car so early in the morning — you changed your flight to get in at a closer airport, and so much earlier — listening to like, Soft Play probably, or maybe it was Russian Circles because I was also reading. But you showed up wearing a sweatshirt from the Hudson News and I just thought, this guy is really hot in that sweatshirt from the Hudson News. 

I remember driving with you through the morning fog. And that whole trip was so beautiful. Just being with you was so easy. Looking at the stars holding you on the cement slab that was the back porch of the beach bungalow. Meeting Rob — Jesus Christ. What a guy. Abajo bar, playing dice. Listening to Rob play ukulele and harmonica at his house full of dusty, loved things after he drove us there, claiming it was an election year, the roads have never been better. 

[Pat] July 10th, Wednesday. More PR. Beach morning probably. 2 in da queue. Porch chat. Supermarket. Rob. Soccer. Ukulele. SUP. Seth. Everyone talking about the art walk. Dancing and music. Saw you do your hair the first time. Stars. Dress. 

Checked out new beaches. Pop Smoke. Kite boarding story. “We’re all here because we’re not all there.” Hotel lunch. Worst meal. Horrible drinks. Rain storm. Birdcloud. “Aw hell yeah honey that sounds good.” Beach at night. Great tank top. Took the first pic of you on my phone. Dancing in the street. At day time that’s a scary walk. Dancing. Tango. Ballroom. Waltz. 

[Maple] Paddleboards. You and I went out into a waveless ocean and paddled around until we were bored, and then it started to pour down rain, and that is a moment — us, the paddle boards, and kissing in the rain — that I felt alive, really alive, even if it sounds corny as hell now.