I was 16, he was seventeen. We met at the Brown Derby restaurant in Clearwater, Florida. We were both part-time bussers working nights.

I just saw the movie The Notebook last night. Memories of my own first love came flooding back to me. Just like in the movie, our love was an intense romance followed by a tragic separation.

I saw Bill five years later. We went to a movie then made love at his apartment. We were both glad to have reconnected. But unlike the movie, our love was not strong enough to stand the test of time. We had both been through so much, seen so many things. We were different. Our innocence was lost to a cruel world that forced both of us to become adults way before our time.

It has been a very long time since I last saw Bill. I wonder how he is. Does he still live in Florida? Is he married? Does he have kids? I really hope that he is happy.

I suppose I could look him up if I wanted. But, I think that would be an invasion of his privacy. I hope that he still thinks about me every once in a while.