Galentine's Day Tiny Love Stories

The NYT Didn't Want Them, Maybe You Will

Elizabeth and I are publishing our Tiny Love Story attempts this month — unrequited by the NYT. The first one is about my hometown bestie 4eva. The second one is about Elizabeth, with bonus pic of when we met for the first time in person at Stephen KingCon and went as the Grady Twins to the Shining Ball.

Home Is A Best Friend

Nikki once told me she felt the most at home in the San Francisco suburb where we met as teenagers. I was confused because I had no idea what she was talking about, and then sad, because I didn’t have a place that made me feel the most at home. Except her, I realized. Being with her. I moved to Oregon in my thirties and a few years later, Nikki followed. Now fiftysomething, we agree to always live within lunching distance. Our friendship has been our love story. When we’re together, I know all our best years are still ahead.

New Friend Crush

When she started texting me, I thought, Okay, we are friends after all. New friends. With a twenty-year difference between us, me the elder. I texted back tentative smiles and LOLs. Then, the sweet voicememos arrived with updates about her new puppy and the morning’s Pilates class. Over margaritas, we told one another our life stories as a sort of friendship first date. I wondered, what does a new friendship look like in my fifties? I consulted my 70-year-old friend who said, "Go with it. Maybe you’ll learn something." Now, I’m in new-friend-crush, and off to return today’s voicememo.