My person

I dated many individuals before you. Individuals who wanted to ‘netflix and chill’ after a 2nd date, individuals with bad breath (how do you even address this?), individuals who proceeded to tell me that feminists were all man haters and I wasn’t a feminist (after being very clear that I indeed believed in equality for all and was a feminist), individuals who did make it to my home but proceeded to put their feet up on my coffee table…..it was a very long 15 months of dating with an enforced lockdown chucked in there for good measure. 

I persevered knowing that you, my person, were out there. We matched on Bumble. My initial feeling was one of relief – normal, getting to know you chat – I couldn’t believe my luck! I asked you out, and you took the initiative to book 2 tables in different bars…we later found out that we were both secretly nervous that this was a wrong move. In my taxi I was just thinking ‘Here we go again’, I had dating fatigue and although I had good feelings about you, it wouldn’t have been the first time that I had been disappointed. You text asking if you wanted to come and meet me from the taxi, I declined – there was no way that my potential person was going to see me with a mask on for the first time! 
As I walked upstairs to meet you, the nerves did start kicking in. I approached you and introduced myself. Although I would be lying if I said I had instant butterflies, I did have a ‘good’ feeling and knew we were on a similar wavelength – I’m not sure why but I did. 

We ate, drank and laughed. 

Dating in Covid times meant that allocated booking times were essential, our time was now up. We walked along the street side by side, and for the first time there was a silence. I could feel it, you were contemplating ‘the kiss’. It was around 5ish, the city was bustling and the sun shone on us. We faced each other under the gaze of monuments, tall buildings and passing strangers. You broke the dating rule and asked if we could do it again, to which I happily said yes. I had told you some of my dating stories, and you wanted reassurance that you weren’t going to become a story; I gave you that reassurance and you never did. We kissed, and I watched as you happily strolled out of the post lockdown euphoria. 

Here we are bubbling together in another lockdown. We are missing out on a lot – cinema dates, going to the dancing, weekend breaks away and meeting family and friends. 

Instead we are having weekend lie ins until 12 noon, park walks, cooking and working from home side by side. 

Lockdown is a frustration but I also feel like the luckiest woman in the world. Safe to say you are not another individual, you are my person, and I have found you in the midst of a global pandemic.