Story
It was a cool evening in the fall of 1993 that a vibrant 16 year old Vanessa first entered the orbit of a wide eyed 14 year old Miguel. At first he thought that being named U-15 Striker of the Year at the first ever awards ceremony for his local soccer club might have been the highlight of his night, but he could not have been more wrong. No, that honor would go to the moment he first laid eyes on Vanessa Rae Negrete, while she stood up to receive the U-17 award. His imagination took flight and his heart melted, in a moment that was forever frozen in time. Yet for nearly two years, this moment was to repeat itself whenever she passed him in the hallways of San Marcos High School, equal parts mesmerizing and torturous.
At the close of those two years, Vanessa’s graduation from high school and subsequent enrollment at Stanford University led Miguel to assume that she, now a blazing star among distant planets, was beyond his reach forever. But for a second time, he could not have been more wrong. For in another two years, he blazed a path of his own to that same said university, unknowingly entering her orbit once again. In what seemed like no time at all, he found himself passing her in the hallways anew, but this time after their apparent random assignment to the same college dorm! Equal parts unexpectedly and inevitably, a friendship blossomed over the next two years, one based on shared histories, world views, course schedules, laughter (often at Miguel's expense) and dreams of a more just future. But alas, it would be Vanessa's dream of becoming a lawyer, steadfast in her 21 year old mind, that pulled her away once again. Law school beckoned, their paths diverged, and the wheels of time stretched the universe ever more.
Yet as much as things change, some will always remain the same. For exactly 21 years later, Vanessa found herself scrolling through the digital hallways of Facebook, and recognized an all too familiar wide eyed face. Indelible memories and tender feelings returned as she happily sent Miguel a message. Their unique friendship was quickly and easily renewed. But as much as things remain the same, some things are forever changed. For Miguel was no longer a boy of 14, but a man of 41. And the girl of his dreams was no longer a girl, but a woman in the fullest of senses. Unexpectedly and inevitably as ever, their friendship grew into something more, something much more. Because in the end, some stars are not meant to simply pass into and out of each others orbits, but are in fact destined to collide.
-Written by Miguel