Harvest Moon...

It was the Harvest Moon last night.

I thought of you.

I thought about that summer.

Is anything as magical as a summer romance when you are a teenager?

Will you ever feel anything as deeply again as you did at 16?

We had no expectations. We'd never been there before.

We had no calluses. We'd never been hurt before.

I remember sitting down by the lake. Making wishes and skipping stones.

I remember kissing under the stars. Making promises we didn't know we couldn't keep.

My mother warned me. She said that changes would come.

Your father warned you. He said we weren't your kind.

But we were 16. We knew better.

The days were long. The nights perfect.

We were innocent then. We didn't know.

My mother told me it was time to stop.

Your father told you that you were going to leave.

They didn't let you say goodbye.

Would that have made a difference?

If you had been able to say goodbye?

But they didn't let you.

So we made a secret plan to meet one last time.

Furtive phone calls made in hushed whispers.

We would sneak out to the lake. Late September.

We were in love after all.

My mother warned me.

Your father thought you were past it.

Over me.

Moved on.

It was a beautiful Fall day.

The leaves on the trees were gold and red and orange.

The sky was the deepest blue.

The lake was a giant mirror reflecting the world to us.

It was perfect.

We were perfect.

My mother was frantic.

Your father thought you were at football practice.

The sun was setting on our last day.

Our goodbye.

The Harvest Moon rose.

My mother was right. Changes would come.

Your father was right. We weren't your type.

You promised me your heart that day.

I ate it by the lake in the bright light of the full moon.

We were 16. We knew better.