How To Rekindle A Relationship

Jayson and I dated about four years ago and we were a glorified fling at best. Many of our dates consisted of takeout, me cooking up a plate of his favorites, movies and lots and lots of affection. But I wasn’t mad at the limitations to our hangouts. Jayson made me laugh, he was great to look at (I’m admittedly shallow) and he treated me with respect. He definitely had a soft spot in my heart. He was special. I was the one who approached him initially when we first met.

He was working at The Art Of Shaving and I walked by with a friend of mine. I spotted him immediately. He was immaculately dressed. I’m talking, a sharp suit, tie, complete with a silky pocket square. This brother was debonair enough to make Billy Dee Williams insecure. I stopped in my tracks, walked back to the store with my girl hot on my heels, calling my name, “Danielle!”

“Girl, did you see him?” I asked strutting back to the store. “I’m just gonna go say hi.”

She laughed, “I fully support this movement,” my friend said as she walked in the store behind me.

His smile lit up the entire store, “Hi, my name is Jayson. Welcome to The Art of Shaving. How may I help you?”

It took everything in me not to say a corny line you’d hear in a silly romantic comedy, “I’m looking for a gift for my dad,” I lied and grinned from ear to ear. My homegirl shot me a look of approval and kept pretending to browse the store.

“What are you looking for in particular?” Jayson asked, fully invested in helping me find the perfect fake gift.

“I have no idea. Can you just show me some of your best gift sets Jayson?” I said, placing my hand on his forearm and lingering just long enough to give him clues that I was into him.

He smiled. “Of course.” After that confirmation, I basically didn’t hear any other word as he described shaving kits, gels, potions and lotions and I just nodded, making it up in my mind that I wasn’t leaving without his number. Jayson turned his face in my direction and said, “See anything you like?” I swear to you that man licked his lips in slow motion.

I was stuck there with my mouth open. Again, I had to fight myself so that I wouldn’t use a corny one-liner, but I lost the fight, “As a matter of fact, I do,” I smiled. I managed to quickly save myself from my pickup line, “But I have no idea if this is going to be something he’s going to like. Let me get your card and I’ll come back and commit to something once I have a better idea.”

“Not a problem at all,” Jayson smiled, handing me his card. “Call me when you’re ready.”

At this point, he knew what was up. Which is why, when I called him, he said, “I was hoping you would call me.”

Jayson and I couldn’t keep our hands off each other for the next couple of months. Our flirting felt like home. We were under each other’s skin, but when Jayson literally fell off the face of the planet, I was unsettled. For a solid two weeks, I couldn’t sleep. My thoughts were mostly of him and before I knew it, two years had passed and thankfully, so did my feelings for Jayson.

A month ago, Jayson called me, apologized and told me that he always had a special place in his heart for me. “But where did you go?” I asked him, genuinely curious about his disappearing act.

“There were a lot of bad things going on with my family and I had to move away. I just came back and you’ve always been on my mind. I was just hesitant to call you because I didn’t know if you would accept my apology and want me back…because I want you back,” he confessed.

Feelings started rushing back into my heart, I felt the heat rise into my cheeks and I could hear my heart thump. I can’t lie; I wanted to see what we could rekindle. But I couldn’t get past that two years that Jayson left me hanging with no explanation.

“You were on my mind almost everyday Danielle. I promise you that I cannot shake you. I tried because I knew that with my family issues, I didn’t have time to worry about a relationship. But you never left me,” Jayson confessed as if his survival depended on my forgiveness.

“So what are you saying, Jayson?” I tried to be a lot harsher than what I was actually feeling. I wanted to be strong and not let Jayson know that I was wanted to try again. He can’t just come back after two years and expect us to pick up where we left off. Or can he?

What would you do if you dated someone who left for two years and came back claiming to want to start fresh?