Member-only story
On Derby Day, seven years ago, I matched with Franklin on Tinder.
May 25, 2024
On Derby Day, seven years ago, I matched with Franklin on Tinder. He is from New York and was in Louisville for a friend’s wedding. We’d made plans for a tryst, but he’d gotten caught up in wedding happenings and was delayed. It turned out we didn’t have time to meet before he had to be at the airport. We began a text relationship. That relationship has strengthened and grown over the last seven years.
He’s been a diligent, consistent, loving, supportive friend. He’s very kind. I love him very much. We’ve never met in person. There were a couple of times a few years back he was planning to come out for work, but then there was the pandemic.
He had wanted to come out in January, not for work, but specifically to see me. That spooked me pretty bad. I put him off. I told him I was busy with school, was struggling with depression, just wasn’t up to it. I thought he might lose interest because I’d put him off. He didn’t. He was concerned I was struggling. He emphasized, as he has done many times, he is there for me should I need anything.
Now, he’s coming to Seattle in July and wants to see me.
I am terrified.
Why?
