“

There are days I’ll go back to his Facebook page and the angel wings photo that hasn’t changed. But then there are days when his page will come to me. I swallow the rock in my throat.

“

Friends and family asked me repeatedly to justify why I would fly across the country for a Tinder date. My pat answer was that the trip was for me, not for a guy.

“

Normal dating was a nightmare so I hacked it.

“

If you won’t date anyone unless they meet your exhaustive list of requirements, you are going to miss out on meeting some unique and fascinating gentlemen.

“

Sex and romance can definitely still happen in the context of friendship-first dating, but they are never assumed or expected, and the top priority is always to understand and validate someone’s existing preferences and goals rather than imposing your own goals and expectations upon them.

“

So she is gone. She is not coming back. And my heart is still resting fragilely in its chest cavity like a vase that’s been broken and carefully glued back together.