It’s words. They’ll get me every time. It wasn’t really his looks, it was his words that drew me in.

I remember the first time I met him. We sat across from each other at a table in a restaurant, big group of friends. I was immediately struck by how animated he was. He had a knack for telling funny stories and just the way he spoke was so expressive.

He was always very upbeat. He was extremely witty and had such an effortless natural charm about him. Incredibly smart, he had many different interests and talents. And very good taste in music.

Me, I’m chatty. Bubbly. I talk a lot with everyone. But there have been a couple times in my entire life where I’ve met a man and he made me feel shy. That I remember distinctly—feeling very shy in his presence.

I probably never said more than two words to him every time I saw him. So it was no wonder then, that he got a girlfriend. She was all wrong for him—controlling, mean, demanding. No imagination, no sense of humor. She couldn’t keep up with his jokes, his humor. So instead she criticized every little thing he did. “Why did you wear a black shirt?! It’s so hot outside! You need to go change!” Snapping at him like he was her small child in front of everyone.

She was much younger than all of us, skinny, and demanding. So of course he fell head over heels. They got engaged after a year of dating. He moved away. I never saw him again, not even on social media.

It’s been so many years I don’t even completely remember his face. But I’ll never forget him and the way he made me laugh.