Little Love Stories: Brad

Brad was a summer thing. And let me tell you, Brad was an absolute sweetheart! The kindness and care he showed me were beyond anything I expected. Honestly, I felt like I didn't deserve someone like him. The summer we spent together was an unforgettable experience, filled with fun and adventure.

All of this started with Brad and I matching on Tinder and we picked some place to get drinks. We decided to meet up for drinks, and during our conversation, we discovered something surprising - we lived only two miles away from each other. You bet after that we saw each other often. I kinda got adopted into the friend group. We went paddle boarding often, biweekly brunch, occasional brewery hopping, concerts and food festivals, and weekly bike rides.

We didn't put a label on what we were. To be honest I don't know if he approached our situation as an exclusive thing or not. To be frank, I didn't. I think we eventually understood that it was just a summer thing. Whatever it was, it was meant to be.

Then, there was a moment that truly showed me what an incredible person Brad was. I had to go through an emergency appendectomy, which, I admit, I didn't take seriously at first. Brad insisted that I get it checked out, and I'm so grateful he did because it turned out to be a life-saving decision.

This is also the part of the story where I have to preface that I did not deserve Brad. I originally went to Urgent Care and then Urgent care told me to go directly to the ER and that they would send my file over. Brad took me to the hospital and waited through the hospital being on lockdown because of a dangerous person, to waiting around forever for the intake after the shutdown was lifted, through all of the testing, and my complaining. He stayed up until 1 AM at the hospital until I knew when my surgery would be in the morning. When I woke up in my room I saw a giraffe gift bag with a post it note saying he'd be back to pick me up after I woke up and a card with a cute message. (See the attached photos). I think back on this and I genuinely can't believe he did this for me. I had probably only known him for a few weeks and honestly I'd understand if he said no or ghosted me.

Below are some photos and you may wonder why the photo of my belly. This is partly because people think that I had a weird belly button piercing and I wanted to show that I would never get a belly piercing and never had one. It's one of three scars from getting my appendix removed. I also share his because these scars made me feel insecure about my body and some self deprecating thoughts.

Looking back on that summer with Brad, I can't help but smile. It was a special time in my life, and he made it unforgettable. I know we were just meant to be a part of each other's lives during that season, but I will always cherish the memories we created together. And I'll forever be grateful for his kindness, love, and support.