Page 56 of Love in the Stacks
“I always learn about life.”
“What do you mean?”
“Like fishing, accomplishing anything worthwhile in life requires patience, persistence, and a willingness to face uncertainty.” He smiles. “Like in love and relationships. You may not care too much about that now, but someday you will. With fishing, you might wait hours for a catch, just like in life it may take time, more than you’d hoped, to find the right person, or once you find them, for a relationship to develop.
“Both love and fishing involve moments of disappointment and frustration, but also the thrill of a big catch or a meaningful connection. They both require dedication and commitment. But most of all, you need to understand that it’s the experience itself that holds value, no matter how it turns out.”
He was right that, at the time, I didn’t much care for his advice about life and love. And it definitely didn’t make me feel better about losing the mahi, but I’m glad the memory has stuck with me. It’s bittersweet to pull his words back now from the recesses of mymind. Thinking back on the last six months, his advice seems more relevant than ever.
Not that I’m “catching” Nicole. Trying to be a meaningful part of her life is taking all my emotional strength, but at the same time, building it up and heightening my resilience. For sure, walking with her tonight, hand in hand, was the thrill of my life.
I prop the pillows up against the headboard and sit on the bed, reclining back. I close my eyes and heave out a sigh. Nope, still not tired. Between the leftover nervous energy from the presentation this afternoon, the excitement of my evening with Nicole, and the slow ache of remembering my father, I’m not sure how I’ll settle down enough to fall asleep.
I swing my legs around to climb out of bed. Setting up my laptop on the little hotel desk, I launch a computer game. All the stress of the day, both good and bad, drops out of focus as I take turn after turn in the game and get lost in the fictional world. I don’t emerge until the early hours of the morning, when I finally crawl into bed and spend the few hours that remain in a soft, dreamless sleep.
Chapter twenty-seven
Nicole
Molly:
Nicole! What happened after I left last night? We need the deets!
Olivia:
deets? wow mol are you 40?
Molly:
What should I say?
Olivia:
spill the tea
Olivia:
but wuthappened
Nicole:
Nothing dramatic. But…
Molly:
…
Olivia:
…
Nicole:
We held hands
Olivia:
lame
