A Story with My Partner

Some of the best moments of my life were with Summer in my arms, her sweet head on my shoulder as we sat on the plaid couch here at my hovel or the big plush sofa in Davis or on her crimson colored bed in The Sunset, watching a movie. My sweetheart told me that it was important. That she liked to end the day watching a story with her partner. It filled me with such joy and pride when she told me that. Few things ever made me that happy. Sitting together, giving her a foot massage. Wrapping her in a blanket. How she would look at me, those eyes of love -oh, my heart. Holding her sweet little hand. In Davis, we’d hit the Blockbuster on the way back from The Nugget Market, picking up a selection or two. In The Sunset there was a great place called Le Video. I still have my membership card. At Christmas, Summer’s mom had one gift specially marked for Summer & I to share. It was a box set of the first two seasons of a show we’d been looking forward to. The gift came with explicit instructions that Summer & I were to watch it together. That made me very happy. Here in New York, Summer & I frequented the wonderful, iconic Alan’s Alley at W.22^nd and 9^th Ave. We checked out the whole of Brideshead Revisited. And Jewel in the Crown. And many many more. It was our go-to, that lovely little place with thousands of titles. On a long walk today back up from way downtown, I happened past and it was gone. A “For Lease” sign from some fucking developer in its papered-over windows. I was heartbroken. But I just looked them up online. Yeah, some thoughtless money-grubbing landlords ousted them – perhaps the last video store in the city. But they’ve found a new smaller space, still in Chelsea, on 25^th St. From the pictures it almost seems like they’re working out of an apartment. Cool. Punkrock. Returns, a notice on the website says, can be left afterhours at the Rail Line (formerly Moonstruck) diner, across the street from the old location. They gather them in a bag and Alan picks them up in the morning. They’re back. I haven’t been yet, but I’m going. I can feel my Summer smiling. God bless. God bless…