I’m 28 and newly divorced, technically still waiting on the court date, but separated from my ex who’s still seeing the coworker she cheated with earlier this year. We had a hard go of it because she was dealing with some very difficult personal issues, which affected our intimacy and day-to-day happiness. We were always in crisis mode, as if on a sinking ship that demanded we constantly shovel out buckets of water to try and float.
Moving on and moving back home have been very positive for me. I’ve had lots of good work, gotten to spend time with friends and family, and I feel genuinely happy and stable for the first time in years. …so of course I joined Tinder.
I was curious to see what dating was like these days, and to get an idea of who was out there. I swiped left and right for a few days, had some flirtations and a coffee date, but it didn’t add up to much.
Then I got a message from Lily, a girl I had super-liked. She was 21 but looked like someone from another time, a southern belle in summer dresses with striking green eyes and long, dark waves of hair. In one photo she was enjoying a popsicle, her taffy-coral lips embracing its icy tip.