I watched her with her friends: They were getting ready to build a bonfire. There were coolers packed with beer and soft drinks scattered around the sand. They had marshmallows on sticks, and
hot dogs. I marveled at how free she was, how joyful in her skin. After that, I went to the beach almost every day. I watched her every chance I could, until one day, when I was reading my
chemistry book in a quiet spot well back from the water, I saw two slim feet come to a dead spot right in front of me. When I looked up, she kicked sand in my face and I spluttered. She ran off
laughing. That was how I first knew that she had noticed me.
I stopped talking about Stanford after that semester.
Lissa and I were married when we were seniors. I was in a hurry, I’m not sure why. Perhaps it was my pare
