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A few minutes later, a car parked behind Charlie’s in the driveway.Rick, wearing his hunter-green T-shirt, Charlie’s favorite, pulled a suitcase from his trunk.As he walked up the path, the reflection from the porchlight made his hazel eyes glow.

Charlie didn’t feel even a hint of a smile cross her lips.Shouldn’t I be more excited to see him?

When she opened the door, Rick grabbed her, dipped her backward, and kissed her passionately.Charlie imagined they looked like the old photograph of the sailor and the nurse kissing in Times Square, although the nurse appeared to be enjoying it.Charlie used to love Rick’s grand gestures, but lately, more often than not, she felt herself just going along with them.

The first few years she and Rick dated, every time she thought of him, she felt a kaleidoscope of beautiful colors waltzing inside her.The first time they met was at her friend Louisa’s twenty-first birthday party.He was wearing a beige sweater and black jeans.Charlie was surprised at how good he looked in a V-neck since she was not fond of that neckline on men.

The party was going strong when she came in—loud music, drinking, and wild dancing.Charlie liked to dance but wasn’t comfortable asking a random stranger, so she kicked off her platform boots and pulled Louisa onto the dance floor.They jumped around in an odd freestyle, combining hip-hop and The Running Man.

Rick came up behind Louisa and tapped her.“Hey, is there any more beer?”he asked, yelling over the loud music.

Louisa nodded, and when she crossed toward the kitchen, Rick remained next to Charlie.He reached out, took her hand, and twirled her around.She laughed as the beer and a half she had drunk swirled in her brain making her slightly dizzy.Rick caught her in his arms when her stocking feet slid out from under her.Charlie wasn’t sure if she’d accidentally slipped or done it on purpose.Either way, she was in a cute guy’s arms.She may have been in college, but her maturity level with boys was that of a twelve-year-old.

“I’m surprised I never noticed you before,” Rick said.

“I fly under the radar,” Charlie had said.

“Not anymore.”He stared at Charlie, and she wasn’t sure if he liked what he saw or was trying to figure out if she was his type.

“I’m Rick,” he said.

“Charlie.”

When Charlie saw Louisa coming back with a beer, she jumped away from Rick as if she’d been caught by her parents having sex with a stranger.Louisa handed Rick the beer and took Charlie’s hand.

“There’s someone I want you to meet,” Louisa said to Charlie.

As Louisa and Charlie began to walk away, Rick called after.

“Aren’t you going to give me your number?”he asked.

Before Charlie could answer, he said, “Never mind; I’ll give you mine.”He reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone, and typed his number into it.

“Call me,” he said.

“And what if I don’t?”Charlie said.

“Oh, I think you will.”Rick grinned at her and walked away.

Charlie couldn’t believe the nerve of the guy, yet she felt her heart palpitating to the beat of Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.”The last time she had felt this odd was when she was twelve at her cousin’s bar mitzvah and a fourteen-year-old boy told Carla that he was going to marry her daughter in ten years.

Now, eleven years after that party, Rick was curled up on the couch next to Charlie.

“I’ve missed you,” Rick said.

“Me, too,” Charlie said—how could she not say that back?

Rick rubbed her arm up and down as if strumming a guitar.“I hate when you’re not around.I count on you a lot.”

Charlie looked him in the eyes.“Which honestly is not great.”

“It’s what couples who love each other do.”

“It’s too much.Our relationship isn’t equal,” Charlie said.“I’m not getting some of my own stuff done, because I’m constantly taking care of you.”

“I thought you loved me,” Rick said, turning on his best smile.

“I’m being serious.I need to start prioritizing myself, so you have to stop relying on me so much.”