The first time our eyes met, I didn’t know it would be the moment my life split into before you and after you. At first, we acted like we didn’t like each other at all, sharp words, rolled eyes, pretending we didn’t care. He annoyed me in all the ways that felt intentional, and I made it a point to let him know. What I didn’t realize was that somewhere between the arguments and the laughter we tried to hide, something started to change. I fell for him slowly, without permission, in the moments when he wasn’t trying to impress me, when he listened, when he stayed, when he showed up. By the time I understood my feelings, the line between before and after had already been drawn, and I knew there was no going back.