Memoirs of a Fat Girl

We shot a few quick messages back and forth over the next few hours, and set a phone date: 6pm that evening.

I was tempted to make him wait a day or two, be all cool and suave, but there was one teensy little problem: I just couldn't. In retrospect, a couple more days after 14 years really isn't all that much, but the reality of the matter was that I wanted to talk to him. Now.

Isn't it amazing how a few hours can play tricks with your head? Isn't it more amazing that at 31 years of age, your heart can still pound through your chest as you're dialing a phone number? Even more incredible, that your knees get wobbly and your tongue twists up right when you hear him say, "Hello?"

That hello came from Sandy. On the other end of the line was Sandy. Call me nutty but at that moment, I couldn't have been happier.

After acknowledging the general craziness of the whole thing, his first question was, "What made you look for me?" I told him about the signs - minus the writing and frantic phone call to Georgia - and then he said, "You sound the same."

To which I replied, "So do you." You have no idea how much I missed your voice.

"What's up, are you married?"

"Nope. Single and fabulous."

"Really? I'm not married, either."

For some ridiculous reason, my heart skipped a beat. Stop it, right now. That's not why you're here.

"Do you remember the prom?"

Oh, man. "Yeah."

"I talk about that night often, how cool it was. In fact, I just told that story not long ago."

Oh man, man, man.

"I remember every little detail. All of it."

"Oh really?" So do I. How you looked, what you wore, down to the mink oil you shined your shoes with and how you held my hand. I don't know if I'll ever tell you that.

"That was an awesome time."

"It was for me, too." Because I was with you.

"I remember how great you looked."

"Thanks." You were the first one to ever tell me I was beautiful. Did you know?

"I remember lots of little details, actually."

"Such as?"

"Well there was this one time... wait, never mind."

Unbelievable. Sandy was notorious for abruptly stopping halfway through something even then. "Hey! Don't do that! You always did that! You know you can't just start something then cut off!"

He laughed. "It's too soon!"

Do you hear this? It's like nothing has changed. We're talking like nothing has changed. This is amazing.

"Too soon nothing! If you tell me this, then I'll tell you something."

Wait, what are you going to tell him?

"Upping the ante?"

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO TELL HIM?

"Yes! Cough it up!"

"Well, I remember this one time we were standing on your street... and you pecked me on the cheek then ran into your house. I was blushing like crazy."

Really?

"Does that sound familiar at all?"

"A little..." I remember like it was yesterday.

"Okay, your turn."

Shit.

"Do you remember that time we were in front of the library, and you kissed me?"

No, don't go there...

"Yes..."

Still time to get out of it...

"That was my first kiss."

STUPIDHEAD!

"Was it really?"

I confessed that it was indeed and then, out came the ball from left field. "You know, I considered looking you up a few years ago. I really wanted to call you."

What? "Why didn't you?"

"I figured you were settled down, someone else had snapped you up, and the last thing you needed back in your life was me."

I never stopped thinking about you, either.

Our conversation last three hours.

The next day we sent each other dozens of text messages, then talked for another three hours. More messages the next day, and a call that lasted until 5am. Yet more messages, more calls, less sleep, more smiles. After all, this was Sandy.

Surely if not slowly, my heart opened up again.