But it paid off. I earned scholarships every
semester, and my professors finally knew my
name. Staying busy was the best cure for
heartbreak. I thought about Ethan less and less,
only occasionally hearing about him from
former classmates. He started dating someone
during his second semester of freshman year,
apparently the “belle of the ball” from the
foreign language department. That lasted three
months. Over the next three years, he had
several girlfriends, none lasting longer than a
semester. The first time I saw a picture of him.
and a girlfriend in our high school group chat,
my heart remained calm. I knew I was finally
During my first year of grad school, I started
dating someone. A sophomore, no less. Yes, the
kind of younger–man situation that made my
roommates both envious and horrified.
His name was Matt, a handsome athlete on the
university tennis team. I only discovered our
university had a tennis team when my advisor
recommended me for a team physician
assistant position. Their coursework was
completely different from pre–med, a fact that
both delighted and frustrated the rest of us
med students, slaving away over organic
chemistry while they practiced their serves.
Their days consisted of studying, training,
competing, studying, training, competing… an
endless loop.
Used to the quiet, studious pre–med crowd, my
eyes widened as I watched the tennis players
train, sweat pouring off them. Their toned
muscles, agile movements, and sheer vitality
were captivating. It was like a whole new world
<
had opened up to me.
Matt was the team captain, and the one I “accidentally” glanced at the most. He had this confident, almost arrogant intensity when he
played, which I found incredibly attractive. What I didn’t expect was for him to confess his feelings after I treated a cut on his knee. His
directness caught me off guard. So much so
that I forgot to play it cool and just blurted out,
“Okay.”
“So, will you be my girlfriend?”
“Okay.”
Later, I learned from Matt’s teammates that
he’d had a crush on me since freshman year. All
because I had given him a band–aid. That
jogged a vague memory. A year ago, outside
the campus convenience store, I’d seen a guy
cut his hand on a packaging box. Blood welled
up from his index finger. I rummaged through
<
my bag and hesitated for a second before
offering him a pink Peppa Pig band–aid. I just
remembered thinking he was cute because he
blushed bright red when he put it on. That was
Matt. What a small world.
He told me the whole team knew about his
crush. He’d even started attending my elective
classes, just to see me. His friends encouraged
him to ask me out, but he’d heard I was a
notorious studyholic and was afraid I wouldn’t
be interested. When I joined the team as a
physician assistant, he was ecstatic. His
teammates teased him mercilessly, saying he
strutted around like a peacock, showing off his
tennis skills every chance he got. Finally, one of
his friends, tired of his timidity, told him that if
he didn’t make a move, he would.
The thought of his friend liking me too finally
spurred Matt into action. The day I treated his
knee, his friend had been standing nearby,
about to ask me something.
<
“Hey, are you free later? I was wondering…”
“She’s not free,” Matt interrupted, then looked
up at me. “So, will you be my girlfriend?”
When I said “Okay,” he was so stunned he
thought he’d misheard me. His friend had to
nudge him. “Dude, she said yes! Didn’t you hear
her?”
Matt finally snapped out of it, grinning like a
fool.
Later, Matt would often tease me, asking if I
had been plotting all along, waiting to pounce
the moment he confessed his feelings.
“You joined the tennis team just to be near me,
didn’t you? You just pretended to be cool and
aloof, but you were secretly head over heels, weren’t you?”
“Are you basing our entire relationship on
wishful thinking?” I laughed.
“Come on, just humor me!”
“Actually,” I’d say, playing along, “it was love at
first sight. I planned everything to get closer to
you.”
“Ha! I knew it!” He’d puff out his chest. “You
got me good.”
He was so adorable.
Despite being younger, Matt was usually the one taking care of me. Youthful energy, I guess.
He had a strict routine of working out for an
hour every morning, no exceptions. Before we started dating, he would wake up at 6:30, work out, then have breakfast. After we got together, he started waking up at 6:00 so he could have
breakfast with me after his workout.
Sometimes, if I was too lazy to go to the dining hall, he’d bring breakfast to my dorm.
<
10:41
“You don’t have to do this, you know. Waking
up so early can’t be good for you.” I worried
about him.
33
“Don’t worry about me, babe. I’m built for this.”
He’d flash a cheeky grin. “Seeing you in the
morning gives me all the energy I need for the
day.”
Maybe it was because Matt was so caring, but
being with him made me realize how wonderful
a relationship could be. We never fought.
Whenever we had a disagreement, he would
always be the one to compromise. He spoiled
me rotten, and I found myself becoming
increasingly dependent on him. I used to
consider myself fiercely independent, always
handling things on my own. Now, even if I
wanted a cup of coffee, my first instinct wasn’t
to order it myself, but to ask Matt to get it for
- me. Sugar–coated bullets, indeed. He said he
wanted to spoil me until I couldn’t live without
him.
<
