Love in the Bay: Beneath the beverage fridge
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Maya and Yacob at his brother's wedding in September. Photo: Yacob Reyes/Axios
I fell in love in October 2020, at Lowe's, under the fluorescent glow of a beverage fridge.
- I had spent most of the year at home, in quarantine. I hadn't seen a college campus in months. I hadn't eaten out, either. By July, I'd saved enough for my first car.
- Sweet Tomatoes, where I worked, closed. I had bills. I needed a job, and I found one at Panera Bread: I unloaded trucks there at dawn.
I fell in love with the idea of a better job, and Lowe's offered $12 an hour. There, among paint cans and tool racks, I saw Maya. She worked the cash register, I manned the self-checkout.
I fell in love with the thought of talking to her. But I couldn't find the words. Or the courage. Then, one night, tasked with restocking sodas, we spoke.
I fell in love before I could remember what the bottom half of her face looked like. We talked about high school. About our fears for the future. About the world outside, full of protests and masked faces.
I fell in love moments after the store closed. We stood outside. She asked where I had parked. Embarrassed, I pointed far away. I couldn't park in tight spaces.
I fell in love when she offered to drive me there. Our conversation lasted another hour. When it ended, I gave her a fist bump and fumbled out of her car.
I fell in love each day that followed. Our first date at iHop. Our first kiss soon after. Our dinner at Trattoria Pasquale, two years later, where I gave her a ring and a promise. Through her graduation and mine.
- From a hardware store to a law office and a newsroom. To the rest of my life.
Editor's note: This story is part of Axios' new feature, Love in the Bay, which spotlights love stories that unfolded in our region.
- If you found love here and you'd like to see your story featured, email [email protected].