115 Miles Back to You

The summer of 2021 wasn't anything spectacular on paper. There was no big trips, no dramatic life changes, but it was the first summer that made something inside of me shift. That was the summer I met him. For the sake of privacy, i'll call him Kevin, but nothing what I felt for him was pretend.

Me and Kevin weren't a couple. Technically, we weren't anything. But somehow, I spent the entire summer glued to his side anyway.

He lived with his mom then, in a house with his very plump orange cat. The cat always waddling around, with a funny sort of confidence. Kevin loved that cat, always cuddling him, and I also found myself giving him just as much attention when I was around.

Most days, we walked around Eau Claire without a plan. Just talking, or not talking at all. Shyness practically burned itself into my DNA, so whenever we were at his moms house I refused to go to the kitchen or even downstairs without him, sometimes I would wait until he moved first. I was always worried he would find my shyness annoying. Maybe sometimes he did, but he never made it known. I will forever be grateful for his patience.

Me and Kevin would lay in his bed for hours, one time we watched a series of scary movies on Netflix, except they weren't scary at all. They were Quite funny actually. Lying next to him, laughing together always felt perfect to me.

Kevin was the first guy I ever showered with. I was so shy but he did everything he could to make me comfortable, we showered with the lights off. He turned disco lights on so we could see but so it wasn't too bright for me. It sounds ridiculous to write or even think about, but in the moment it felt safe. This was a kind of trust I have never experienced before.

One of our memories is seared into my mind, I still think about it to this day. It happened on august 19, 2021. We had preheated the oven to make a pizza, this was his favorite food, we expected nothing more then greasy perfection in less than 15 minutes. I had glanced over and there was an entire flame inside the oven. He opened the oven, swore, and then we laughed about what we found inside. Someone had left slices of bread. Not a loaf. Not a pan. Loose slices of bread. This felt so chaotic, he grabbed the slices of bread with a pair of tongs and put them under running water in the sink. We got the fire out, thankfully, but this was definitely a night to remember.

Another time, we stayed at his moms friends house, as we were getting ready to go to bed, Kevin stood up and smacked his head right on the ceiling fan. Trying to hold my laughter in was so tough. There was absolutely no logical reason for that fan to be that low. Eventually we both laughed, in the dim light, together. Those are the moments that stitched me to him without either of us noticing.

As summer faded, things got complicated. There were half truths, mismatched expectations, and the reality that he had just got out of a serious relationship. I knew he wasn't looking for something serious. When he drifted back to his ex, it hurt, but I had no real reason to be mad. We weren't official. I told myself to move on, and I did.. partially.

Every few months, one of us would check in. Never too much. Never too little. Just enough to keep a thread stretched between our memories and wherever life had taken us in that moment.

Fast forward to late 2025. Kevin living in a different town now, much farther away, 115 miles. We had started talking again, slow at first, eventually more consistently. His humor hadn't changed at all, a little teasing, a little sarcastic, maybe a little mean flirting, just enough to get under my skin and make me smile. The feeling of slipping back into an old sweater that I didn't realize I missed.

Then November 26, 2025 happened.

Around 1 PM I jokingly told him to come over, not expecting anything from this. But around 6:45 PM that evening he actually pulled into my driveway. He had driven over 2 hours on the night before Thanksgiving to spend the night with me, if that isn't a miracle, then I don't know what is.

He brought his fluffy husky, his fur was a gorgeous mix of brown and white. He jumped right into my camper like he owned it, I was in my head thinking he could make it his home. My brother absolutely adored this husky, immediately fell in love.

Kevin on the other hand, slipped into the family chaos like hed been there a hundred times before. There was some drama, loud voices, stressful situations, pretty much the usual for me but it never fazed him. This kind of situation would've scared anyone else away. He played monopoly with me and my brother, watched some TV with us, we all laughed together. His presence made me feel steadier, happy if you will.

The night before Thanksgiving felt the same, like he pressed pause in 2021 and finally hit play. Being with him makes me feel comfortable, it was a beautiful familiar feeling.

We cuddled, kissed, talked, touched. We made up for lost time in every way two people can. I caught myself mesmerizing over how pretty of a man he is, the fact his teeth are stupidly perfect, his soft eyes, the curls in his hair.

I never wanted the night to end.

Thanksgiving morning came fast, too fast. Eventually he had to go. He loaded his dog into the car and turned to hug me, the hug wasn't rushed, or awkward, just warm.

We still text everyday. Maybe it's something. Maybe it's nothing. Maybe it's the piece of 2021 that never really ended.

All I know is, some people drift in and out of your life, but some also drive 115 miles to remind you that the story isn't over.