The Land Between Us

by: Twix Castro

“Come over! A friend of Jackson’s is over, and I think you’d really like him!” Jessie’s voice said over the phone, causing me to roll my eyes. This was not the first time she’d tried to set me up with someone. In fact, each time she did it usually ended in disaster. Luckily for her, I wanted to see her anyways; I couldn’t care less about this “friend of Jackson’s.”

            “Alright, but you know I can’t promise anything,” I responded, my exasperation clear in my voice.

            As I took the hour-long drive to see my best friend, I couldn’t help but think about all the times Jessie had tried to set me up with others. A growing apprehension settled into my stomach at the thought. I really didn’t want to go through the same problems I’d gone through with the last few men she’d tried to set me up with, like the time the guy she was trying to set me up with was actively trying to marry the mother of his child, obviously unbeknownst to either of us. Maybe I would only introduce myself to this guy and let him spend the rest of the time talking to Jackson, Jessie’s boyfriend. After all, he probably wasn’t interested in meeting a girl anyways, especially if he’d come over specifically to see Jackson. Yeah, I would be alright.

               Upon my arrival, I waltzed right into Jessie’s house completely unannounced, a custom she reinforced by fussing at me every time I asked her to let me in. I did my usual hellos, scanning the room to see if it was really just the three of us–Jackson’s brother and sister-in-law often came by unannounced–when my eyes landed on quite possibly the hottest man I’d ever seen. He was average in height, kind of built, and he had the most gorgeous dark blue eyes I’d ever seen paired with dark brown hair. He stood up to greet me, and when his hand began to outstretch, I was prepared for some weird, awkward handshake—not the best for a romantic setup if you ask me—but, to my surprise, he took my hand and brought it to his lips.

            “I’m Michael,” he said to me with a soft smile.

            “Hey, I’m Ximena,” I said, a blush rising to my cheeks. I could practically feel Jessie vibrating with excitement in the background.

            She made room for us on her couch, making sure to leave plenty of room for the two of us to sit next to each other. I would have rolled my eyes if I wasn’t still reeling from our introduction. As corny as it may have seemed, I’d never really had men be corny with me before. It was sweet.

               Taking my seat next to Jessie, Michael sitting on my other side between me and Jackson, I immediately started catching up with Jessie about life as we often did whenever we got the chance to see each other. I could hear Michael next to me reminiscing with Jackson about when they’d met, and the time they’d spent in rehab together. Eventually Jessie and I abandoned our conversation to listen to theirs; however, that didn’t last long because suddenly Michael turned to me with a smile.

            “So, Ximena, tell me about yourself,” he said. The way he said my name made me want to swoon, but instead I simply smiled back and began talking about finishing my masters, my cats, and my interests. When we started talking, it felt like we were the only people in the room, he was so tuned into what I was saying. Asking him about himself, I was shocked to find out that we had so many shared interests and views about life; it only made me feel more connected to him. We kept talking for so long that eventually Jackson and Jessie interrupted our conversation to wish us goodnight before going up to bed.

            Something about Michael’s presence was just comforting. I felt like I didn’t need to hold anything back with him, especially when it came to the things I enjoyed. Unlike the other men I’ve talked to, he was an active listener, occasionally chiming in with his own opinions. When we finally checked the time, it was already almost two in the morning; I wished him goodnight and headed up to the guest bedroom while he took the couch.

            I spent the whole next day with Jessie and Jackson, or, really, with Michael. We mostly spent the day just watching TV; Michael and I sitting in very close proximity the whole time, arms pressed against one another. I don’t know when it happened but at some point, I’d fallen asleep. When I awoke my head was pressed against his chest. He simply smiled at me when I looked up at him, and my heart fluttered.

            Unfortunately, I also discovered that day that Michael was from Philadelphia, and that he was supposed to leave the next day. I couldn’t help but feel a little crushed by the distance; after all, Atlanta was a long way from Philly. Not to mention that my luck with dating was terrible; of course, the one time that one of Jessie’s setups wasn’t an immediate disaster it was with someone who lived out of state. Nonetheless, we exchanged numbers and soon he was on his way back to Philly.

            We texted for a long while. At the beginning, it was almost every day. Unfortunately, as the year began to pass, we spoke less and less, and I gave up on the possibility of something brewing between the two of us. Perhaps it was just a strange whirlwind of emotion, not meant to last or have anything come from it. It definitely seemed so, as our conversations died out. I was disappointed, but I had to accept it and move on, and so I did. Or, at least, that’s what I thought.

            It was almost the exact same time of year as when I’d first met Michael that, out of the blue, I’d gotten a text from him.

            Hey, I’m gonna be in your city soon, we should hang out!

               Reading those words, I instantly felt excitement. I wondered what a year had done to change the two of us and if we would have that instant connection again. Part of me desperately hoped so. I needed to feel some positive connection with another person, and even if I only had it for a day with Michael, it was better than the emptiness I’d been feeling.

            We met up at a bar after I’d gotten off work, free for the weekend to do nothing as usual. The moment I laid eyes on him that attraction came back in full force, and he gave me the biggest hug ever. I returned it, squeezing him around his waist before the two of us walked into the bar.

It was practically like we’d never been apart. That natural feeling of comfort settled in almost immediately, and we began filling each other in with the details of what had happened in our lives over the course of the year.

            “So, what are you doing in Atlanta?” I asked when conversation about our individual lives died down.

            “Oh, I just needed a vacation. Care to show me around?”

            I gladly accepted.

            We spent the entire weekend together exploring the city and showing him my favorite spots for food and entertainment. It was incredible to be able to show someone my world like that; it made me feel so much closer to him with every passing moment. My heart could burst, it was so full, but there was always the lingering anxiety about the truth of our situation. On Monday, he would leave for Philly again, and I would be left alone once more. I laid in bed contemplating this and questioning whether I could accept that there was no way this could work out, even if the two of us wanted it desperately.

            No. I wouldn’t accept that.

            Sunday, we went to a museum I loved to visit, and then we went to dinner. Every time I made eye contact with Michael, I could see the hint of something in his eyes, but I couldn’t quite place it. Was he also thinking that there was no hope for us?

            We finished dinner and headed for the car, but before he could climb in, I took his hand in mine and stopped him.

            “Michael, you’re one of the best people I’ve ever met; everything with you feels so perfect. I can’t keep this to myself anymore. I really like you. You make me feel so safe, and I love to listen to you talk about everything, and I can’t let you leave again without me telling you this. I want us to try this, I don’t care how far apart we are, we can figure it out. I just know I can’t let you leave just for us to fall away again.”

            He stared at me for a moment, shock in his eyes, but then his mouth curved into the biggest smile I’d ever seen before he pulled me in for a tight hug.

            “I hoped you felt the same way. I know it’ll be hard, but we can make it work. I know we can,” he said as he pressed his cheek into the side of my head. I rested my cheek against his chest, tears of happiness threatening to spill as I smiled so wide my face felt like it was going to split. I had never been as happy as I’d been in that moment, and it was the perfect start to our forever.