Running Into Someone You Once Loved

It will not be easy. You will not be prepared. You will be looking for the perfect avocado at a fruit stand and then, in what will feel like the second half of the same instant, you will look up and see a face that turns your legs to liquid. It all happens very quickly. Stunned looks turn into smiles of recognition, eyes widen, hands go about- do you shake hands? do you hug? do you kiss on the cheek? where the hell are the rules for these encounters? You scan his face- yes, it's older now, but still perfect, still familiar, still lovable beyond measure. The years have passed, you no longer know every part of him. You do not recognize the clothes he's wearing, or the wrinkles on his forehead. And then- and who knows why you will do this, but you will- you look at his hand, you look for a ring. It's there. Of course it is. You already knew. It is the Era of Facebook; you even know her name.

This encounter has happened throughout all of time, thousands of people have written about it, beautiful novels and films have immortalized it; it is impossible not to romanticize it, not to be thrust into the sentimental space of Past Lovers Reunite. Whether the sky really is pinkish-blue, whether the fruits in the stand really do give off a bitter-sweet aroma just for this moment, whether no one is really bothered by two people just standing there- well, it doesn't matter. It's how it'll play out in your mind, and it'll be poetic because it has to be. Because these things are too surreal to be real. Because past loves live in a far-off island, protected from and unchanged by life.

It's so good to-

How great to-

I thought you lived in-

I'm just here visiting-

I can't believe-

Isn't it funny-

You look-

You look-

This is-

Isn't this-

I thought maybe I'd-

I wish I'd known you were-

But it was a last minute- 

It's been so many-

You haven't changed-

You still look-

...

How have you-

I heard you-

Good-

Yeah-

I read that you-

I saw that you-

Oh-

Uh-

How great for-

I'm so happy for-

Thanks-

Thanks-

...

Well I really should-

And I better-

But how great to-

Such a nice treat to- 

Can I write you when-

Let's not lose-

Yes of course-

Yes we must-

...

I'm off this way-

I still have to- 

Right-

Yes-

It's so great to see-

How great to see-

It is-

It is-

Enjoy this beautiful-

I hope you enjoy-

We'll talk-

Yes of- 

Soon-

Soon-

...

Bye-

Bye-

...

And then it's over. He'll go. You'll stay. You will wonder, briefly, why the universe sent him to you today, during this time in your life, when your heart is in limbo. You'll think maybe it means you can love again. Or maybe it means you had to remember a time when you were someone else, to someone else. Or maybe it just means it was time to see him again, to see that everything passes, that everything changes, that every story has an ending. The world will remain suspended for a while, but then it'll go back to normal. You'll pick out your avocados. You'll go home. Except you'll wear your sunglasses just a little longer today, because your eyes will fill up with tears.