Giving love a 10th shot

I was sitting at Kramer’s last night with my Aunt Caroline disapprovingly watching her eat her waffles and a scoop of rum and raisin flavoured ice cream. One, she has the flu and two; it is the middle of winter! I was having the reasonable thing, having hot chocolate.

As we discussed her match on mingle2, it hit me; I’ve never met anyone as deliriously beautiful as she is. She has stars in her eyes when she talks about her “future husband”; listening to her talk you’d think she’s never been hurt in love. The pure unadulterated optimism for life and the joy in her voice is intoxicating. I want to be as young and free as the woman sitting across from me; twenty years my senior and divorced.

Her ex-husband was an abusive alcoholic and the divorce was messy, after 9 years of marriage, she walked away. In contrast I’ve been single for a full year since the end of May, after a 2 year relationship and I’ve got three years of unrequited love under my belt. I’ve been cynical and not willing to so much as smile at the cute guy who’s been trying to make eye contact when I got up to order because “screw love” pour me another cup of hot chocolate.

If she had given up on love, the world would understand, I would understand. She has not, she’s willing to give love another shot, the tenth shot. In that moment as we took down his number and sent her Mingle2 match, who is also divorced and looking for the one,a WhatsApp message, I decided I’m also getting on a dating site and giving love another shot, third time’s a charm right?

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