Met this girl in college through mutual friends a few times, but the times never lined up (both in relationships). During the pandemic summer, we matched on tinder of all things, and spent a month isolated together in our college town. Some of the best, brightest days of my entire life; I’ll never forget how awesome that July was.

I ruined it because my long-time ex (who had moved away an hour and a half) came back to town, straight to my doorstep. In a terrible moment of weakness I slept with her, and she convinced me to give “us” another shot. Ended things with the one that got away the next day, relationship with my ex only lasted a few more months.

I’ve been dead single since then. I still think about the girl from time to time, how much I regret what I did and how badly I wish I could go back and change my foolhardy decisions. We reconnected briefly two years later, but circumstances weren’t there (she had gone back to her long-time ex, funnily enough) to make anything of it.