punchline: existential dread's Things

Dear queers of Mangago, I would love to hear your most wistful, sentimental, unflinchingly gay "one that got away" stories! I'll start by sharing mine.

There was this girl at my university who was both effortlessly self-possessed and prepossessing. We moved in similar circles. I'd had my eyes on her for over a year before I made a move. (This is where you roll your eyes and go, "lesbians".) She reciprocated. That day I was elated. I'd never imagined my first time asking someone else out would go this smoothly.

Unfortunately, the timing was... off. She was graduating that very same year, and moving to another state - so I agreed to keep things casual. The summer we spent together was great, lots of beach excursions, and in the end we parted ways amicably. No contact, we decided. Cleanly. Maturely. But in truth it hurt.

A little while later she contacted me again. She was visiting and wanted to rekindle something casual. I knew if I dove back in I wouldn't be able to keep it casual, so I said no. So that's it. Now I've gotten enough distance from the whole thing to look back on it all without regret - maybe even with fondness.