He said, You are everything I've ever thought I wanted.

We drove to the beach. It was late -- around 11, I think. Weeknight. On the way there, he told me that he wanted a tattoo of Taz. How lame, I thought. Back then, it was still sort of cool to like Taz, but still.

The stores and the streets were deserted. It was clear. I can't remember the moon.

We walked along the sand for a while, talking about the sorts of things you talk about when you've just met. Everything seems important. Everything seems interesting.

We thought it was interesting that we both liked stories about the Titanic. Back then, it was still cool to like stories about the Titanic. Before the movie.

He told me a story about the salt in the ocean, why there's salt in the ocean. It was a fairy tale,something about elves at the bottom, cranking salt. "I hate deep water," I said.

He pointed my hand up at the stars and showed me Orion's Belt and a Red Giant.

I knew he had a girlfriend. He knew I knew.

We made out in the lifeguard tower. At some point the looked at his watch and said, "It's my birthday today."

"Happy birthday," I said.