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It was a Thursday afternoon, and you were sitting in a diner, twirling a pencil between your fingers as you attempted to solve the crossword game on the day’s paper. You were no good at them but you liked to test your brain. You had just gotten off of work and the Diner was surprisingly empty, just you and a few other patrons. Out of the corner of your eye you could see a waiter reaching for your coffee mug to refill it. You went to go thank them but stopped in your tracks.
He was beautiful.
“Oh, thank you-“ you managed to stammer out as he refilled your cup.“No problem, ma’am.” He shot you a wink. You looked at his name badge and saw Luigi engraved on the cheap metal plaque. He must have caught you staring because he spoke again. “Moe.” He said, pointing at your crossword.“What?”“The bartender in The Simpsons. Moe.”You looked down at your crossword. He was right. The M matched up with the words you had already written down.“Oh! Thank you. I never really watched that show.” You laughed slightly, filling in the word. He shot you a toothy grin and picked up your plates.“My pleasure.”And like that, he was gone.~~~You continued to find yourself going to that Diner a few times a week, holding out hope that Luigi would be there too. Most of the time he was, and he was quick to serve you with the same order you go every time and make your coffee just how you liked it, helping you with (more so doing) your crosswords. Whenever he was on his break, he would sit across from you and talk about whatever was on his mind. You learned he was 24, studying for his Masters, loved to travel, and the Diner was owned by his cousin. He learned that you worked for the local news station behind the scenes, had an herb garden you loved dearly, and preferred riding your bike when you could.Sometimes, when the Diner was mostly empty, you would open up to him more about your insecurities and how you weren’t always sure about yourself, how you had come from a broken home and how you weren’t sure if you were good enough and chose to keep it safe. But Luigi was always there to comfort you and open up about himself. He came from a good family but always felt suffocated by their expectations for him and like he could never measure up. He moved to the city to study and work for his cousin, and while it was different, and he still felt like he didn’t quite know his purpose, he was still growing as a person. You considered him to be a close friend.On one sunny weekend morning, you were sitting in the same booth you always did, and when Luigi eventually came up to say hi, he looked more giddy than usual.“Everything OK there, Luigi?” You joked, once again reaching for the newspaper.“Yeah. I’m just really excited today. I have a date. But she doesn’t know it yet.”You gave him an inquisitive look, turning your head slightly to the side.“Who’s the lucky lady?” You asked, not picking up on his que.“Well, I was hoping it would be you.”For a few seconds, you stared at him, your brain short circuiting. Your face flushed and he chuckled at your demeanor.“You don’t have to, but I would love if you would.” He smiled, once again reaching for your coffee mug.“I would love to-“ You replied breathily, reaching for his hand as he filled your mug.He took your hand in his own and smirked. “I’ll meet you at your place at 3. Bring a swimsuit.”~~~As 3pm was fast approaching, your nerves were on edge. You had your swimsuit on under your sundress with minimal waterproof makeup on. You were sitting by your front door, and when you heard a light knock, you knew it was Luigi. When you opened the door, you could see he was wearing black swim shorts and a blue Bali shirt.“Got your towels? Sunscreen? Water?” You nodded and picked up your bag.“Where are we going? The beach?”“Actually, we’re going to the lake. The beach is too crowded.” That made you smile. You remembered telling him you didn’t like overly crowded places, and while it might have been a coincidence, you liked to imagine he remembered.He closed the door behind the two of you and led you to his car. He opened the car door for you and you flushed slightly at the gesture. As you drove to the lake, you let down your window and let the fresh air in. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see him sneaking glances when he could. When you arrived at the lake, you noticed a few other cars and people, but it wasn’t anything unbearable. He parked and before you could open the door yourself, he was running around his car to open the door for you.“M'lady.” He joked, and you couldn’t help but laugh at his antics.The two of you walked to the small shoreline, and you watched with great interest as he took off his shirt. You tried not to stare, taking off your dress so you were left in your own swimsuit. Normally, you would wear a swim shirt, but being around him makes you feel more comfortable. Like you knew he wouldn’t judge.You laid out your towels and set down you bag, slathering on some sunscreen before Luigi led you to the small pier.“If you look carefully, you can see turtles or frogs stick their heads out of the water.” He spoke as he pointed out at the water.You smiled at that. He knew you loved animals.“Lu, are you any good at swimming?” You questioned, coming close to his side.“Yeah, that’s why I invited you, I-“ before he could finish that thought, you pushed him into the water, following after. When he came back up, he shook his hair and tried to keep an annoyed face, but he couldn't stop from laughing.“Hey! Not fair!”“You were caught off guard! I had to!” You giggled, splashing water his way. He swam towards you, intending to splash you back, but you swam away before he could.“You’ll just have to catch me!”It continued like this for hours, the two of you swimming around the lake and playing water games until it was dark. At one point, he picked up some pond weed and threw it at you. You hated the slimy texture of it but it only made you laugh more. The two of you would search for turtles and frogs, birds, and certain lake plants. You felt like a child again, like you were experiencing parts of your childhood that you were never able to.When the sun was just about gone and the water was beginning to get chilly, you both made your way to the pier once again, wrapped in your towels, sitting next to one another.“Promise you won’t push me in again?” Luigi spoke, hesitantly sitting next to you.“I promise.” You spoke, patting the spot to your left. He sat down, both of yours legs dangling a few feet over the water. It was nice. Calming, even. Slowly, you could feel his arm wrap around your shoulders. You didn’t push him away.For a few moments, it was relatively silent, the gentle sound of the crickets and soft splashed the only noises that filled your ears.“Luigi-“ Your voice came out softly, “Thank you for today, It was, uh, the best day I’ve had in a while.”He took a moment to reply.“I felt the same, I enjoyed this.” His voice was low, and you couldn’t help but snuggle into his side.“Could we do this again?” He asked, turning his head to look into your eyes.“I would love to.” You spoke, moving one hand to balance on his bicep, lifting your head so your faces were only a few inches away from one another. And when you kissed him, you swore you could feel sparks.~~~The months flew by quickly with Luigi. After that first date, you continued to get closer and closer. It started with you leaving a few of your items at his apartment, a tube of mascara here, a pair of leggings there, and maybe a hairdryer in the bathroom cabinet when he wasn’t looking. When his roommate moved out, and he asked you to live with him and make things official, you kissed him like you’d never kissed him before.You set up your herb garden on his (yours’) small front porch, and when he finally fixed up his old bike, you painted it together, drawing your initials in a heart just below the handlebars. You loved spending your days with him, even if scheduling was hard sometimes. You were still working full-time, and he was not only studying but also working, but despite that, you always tried to find time together. You had had a few small disagreements before, like what color to paint the bathroom, or what sheets to put in the guest room, but nothing major.Until that night.It was 2:30 am, a storm was rolling in, and Luigi still wasn’t home. He never worked this late. You had called him but he wasn’t answering, and fear quickly turned into annoyance. You knew you shouldn’t have gotten mad, something might have come up, but you tried calling him once again, but he still wasn’t picking up.“Jesus, Lu, I need you to pick up!” You said, and almost like a command, the door opened and you saw Luigi, still in his work uniform, wet from the rain.“Luigi! Oh my God, I was so worried! Are you ok?” You ran over to him, but before you could wrap your arms around him, he pushed you away.“Lu?” You spoke, confusion evident in your voice.“I’m tired, babe, just leave me alone.” He muttered, sitting down on the chair by the door, leaning to take off his shoes.“Oh, I see how it is. No ‘I’m ok babe, thanks for asking!’ or ‘Thanks for waiting on me!’ “ You didn’t mean to raise your voice, but it came out that way.He stopped what he was doing and glared back at you.“I didn’t ask you to stay up for me, I didn’t ask you to wait. Don’t get mad at me-““But I did! And you can’t even acknowledge that!” You were yelling now, and the rough pattering of the rain was the only competition to your voice.“Don’t you fucking dare try to blame this on me- I’m picking up extra shifts for us! I don’t want to hear it!”You two had never had a screaming match before, but you assumed it was the mix of nerves and tiredness and worry that made the two of you feel that way. Tears were beginning to fall and when you ran out of the apartment, you didn’t expect him to follow.Memories of your parents came back, your mom and dad yelling at each other and sometimes throwing objects, and you hovering over your younger sister to try and protect her. Whenever someone ran out of the house, no one ever followed them, whether it be you or your siblings.You ran until you go to the road. It was empty and the rain was hammering down now. You fell to your knees, your hands coming to cup your face as you sobbed. When you felt a hand on your shoulder, a jolt of fear shot through you. You looked up, but even through the dark of the night, the rain, and your blurred vision, you could tell it was Luigi.“Baby- It’s ok, I’m sorry, I’m here now.” He helped you off you knees and pulled you to his chest. He was so warm despite the coldness surrounding the two of you.“Lu- I’m so sorry- I didn’t mean to-“ You stammered through choked out sobs, but he only pulled you closer.“It’s ok baby, I know you’re sorry, I am too, It’ll be ok.” His hands were brushing through your now soaked hair. You could eventually feel yourself calming down, and when your breathing went back to it’s normal pace, you looked up at him, your hands cupping his face while his rested on your hips.You lifted yourself on your tip-toes and kissed him. It was slow and methodical. Everything you needed. When you broke away, you could hear the timidness in your voice.“But why- why would you- I don’t deserve this.” You whispered. He only smiled.“I remember how we felt, sitting by the water, and every time I look at you, it's like the first time. I fell in love with a careless man's careful daughter. You the best thing that's ever been mine."You were crying again. But this time, it was the good cry. The kind that reminded you of how he always remembered how you liked your coffee, how he knew you hated crowded places but loved concerts, how he knew you loved going on bike rides around the town. He cared. He really did.The two of you walked back to your apartment in silence, his large frame wrapped around yours. He ran the two of you a bath, and as you bathed each other, minimal words were spoken.He carried you to your bedroom and laid you down gently. You didn’t bother looking at the clock, you knew you would be calling in tomorrow anyway. As he lay down next to you and pulled the blankets over the two of you, he wrapped his arm around you and kissed you softly.And it felt just like the first time.