Venice

Not too long ago, I had began to feel slight feelings for Ethan a couple weeks into getting to know one another.

We volunteered at the same organization with similar availability times, so we spent a lot of our time together working side by side assisting low income households toward local resources.

During our quiet periods where there wasn't a large flow of people coming in, we found ourselves alone; and would talk about our pasts.

I'd share my recovery process from my crazy borracha days, and he would tell me about the experiences during his borracho days. 

We were both healing in our own ways, seeking our truth and peace in our own solidarity.

We were recovering from our own heartbreaks, yet unknowingly falling into our own.

After several weeks of laughing at each others stories, and eagerly asking for more to hold onto the moment; the only thing holding us back was each other. Until one day, after talking on the phone like we'd occasionally do every now and then, I let him know I had gotten invited to a kickback and was extending the invite to him as well.

I was excited, but didn't expect much from him. I felt like it meant more to extend the invite, because if I were to see him I honestly don't know what I would've done since it would've been the first time we would be seeing each other outside of our usual uniformed attire and ordinary environment.

After talking to my friend and arriving, there weren't much people until late, so when I did let him know about the event, he casually responded by inviting me over to his house and to bring drinks. 

However, I've heard his stories and although I had a warm feeling in my tummy every time I saw him; it was a step too big for just us yet.

The following day he invited me out this time. He called to invite me over to his house and bring a friend for a friend of his; which meant us two would've been together. I had my own plans of bar hopping so I extended the invite out to him, dropped a pin and didn't expect him to come out. 

Forty miles later and an hour or two so, as I'm leaving the bar for some fresh air, someone grabs ahold of my arm and it was Ethan.

Live in the flesh was the man I thought I'd only see within the confines walls of work, but here he was standing in front of me, with a gleaming smile on his face.

We spent the next twenty minutes talking outside until we parted ways. 

I know crazy right, you drive forty miles to go bar hopping and only talk outside the bar for a bit then part ways.

It didn't sink in that he had driven forty miles just to come see me and say hello, until the next day when we bumped into each other at work. We exchanged glances and didn't talk until we had a moment to ourselves.

It was the first of many adventures.

So young and blind you see, I thought we were just friends and nothing more. 

A week or two later after bar hopping, I found myself impulsively dialing his number outside in the parking lot at work, asking if he'd like to go grab a bite to eat. 

He drove us both in his convertible with the top down to Buffalo Wild Wings, afterwards we walked through Dave & Busters, then went to Round 21 for karaoke and arcade games. He paid for us two that evening and we had a blast getting to know one another, being silly and just being our goofy selves we always were when we were together.

Our dates would either be us two going to the beach together, grabbing tacos or Wings, and walking around the mall. If we were spontaneous we'd mix it up, but that was just our thing.

Time ceased to exist when we were together. We would notice the sun going down and the moon glimmer in the evening sky, but our conversations held on to each minute that passed us by.

My favorite time together had to have been when we had gone to Laguna beach to find out it was unknowingly overcasted, so we relocated to Newport Beach, walked the pier and then drove home to go grab a scoop of ice cream before calling it a night. But, instead we sat in the car with our seats reclined and shared stories about our pasts, cried tears of laughter, sang along to songs, and just laid side by side enjoying our time together.

After a couple hours, we didn't care that we had work the next day early in the morning or what was waiting for us when we got home. It was the moment that we had shared, and how it flowed so naturally against the evening sky. We made a promise to visit Venice Beach next, walk the boardwalk and take pictures against the graffiti inspired cones. 

Our relationship gradually began to grow as we planted the roots, while our glances lingered longer than they could've been, for us two to be just friends.