MOLLY'S VERSION
Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of moving to New York City. Naturally, I’ve watched dozens of NYC chick flicks — The Devil Wears Prada, Bride Wars, You’ve Got Mail… you name it. But the one I never quite liked? How to Be Single. Not because I don’t adore Dakota Johnson, but because I’ve always believed I’d meet my Mr. Right in New York — not spend my days learning how to be alone.
It was early spring in the city — that tricky in-between season where it’s still cold, but you can almost feel warmth around the corner. After yet another disappointing date, I found myself alone one night, casually scrolling through Hinge. That’s when I saw a guy from California had sent me a rose. (On Hinge, a rose is more meaningful than a regular "like"!) I immediately remembered something a tarot reader in West Village had told me not long before: “Your future partner will be from California.” Half-jokingly, I told myself, “Well, maybe this is your Mr. Right.” We matched quickly and exchanged a few messages, but when he didn’t ask for my number, I assumed he wasn’t that interested. So, like many dating app convos, that one fizzled out. Weeks later, I reopened the app — and there he was, messaging me: “Wanna grab wine sometime?” Suddenly, I was intrigued again. I said yes, and this time, we actually exchanged numbers.
Our first date was on a weeknight in May at Ruffian, a cozy little wine bar in the East Village. He showed up carrying an Outdoor Voices tote bag, and I remember thinking, “Hmm... he doesn’t seem super straight.” 😂 But it was our second date that really stayed with me. We met at Gantry Park, and he brought Kaia — his dog. The moment I met her, she jumped up on me with so much excitement. Later, we watched the NBA playoffs at a quiet Irish pub nearby. Kaia curled up at our feet. It was such a simple, peaceful moment — yet it felt strangely familiar, like something I’d been waiting for. That night, something shifted in me. For the first time in two years of trying to find my place in a new city, I felt at home.
Six months later, we moved into an apartment right next to Gantry Park — the place where I first met Kaia and really got to know Andy. Every time we walk Kaia through that park, I still can’t believe this is real.
I love you, New York — thank you for bringing Andy into my life.
And Andy — I love you. Thank you for completing my New York story. 💛
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从小到大，我一直梦想着可以搬到纽约。于是，各种关于纽约的小妞电影我都看了个遍——《穿普拉达的女王》、《新娘大作战》、《电子情书》……你能想到的我几乎都看过。但唯一让我不太喜欢的是《单身指南》。并不是因为我不喜欢Dakota Johnson（她其实很棒），而是因为我始终坚信，我会在纽约遇到我的Mr. Right，而不是学着如何一个人生活。
纽约的初春，总是忽冷忽热。在一次又一次令人失望的约会之后，有天晚上我一个人又打开了Hinge（一个交友App）。这时候，我看到一个来自加州的男生给我送了一朵玫瑰（在Hinge上，玫瑰的意义比普通点赞要更特别一些）。我一下子想起了不久前在West Village的一个塔罗牌师曾跟我说：“你未来的另一半会来自加州。”我半开玩笑地对自己说：“试试看，说不定这就是你的Mr. Right。” 我们很快就match了，聊了几句，但他没有问我要电话号码。按照我的经验，这意味着“没兴趣”。于是那天晚上的对话也就到此为止。几周之后，我又一次打开Hinge，他直接发来消息：“想一起去喝杯酒吗？”我瞬间又来了兴趣，立马答应了，这次我们顺利交换了联系方式。
我们的第一次约会是在五月的一个工作日晚，在East Village的Ruffian小酒吧。他背着一个Outdoor Voices的帆布包，我心里还悄悄嘀咕：“嗯？这个男生看起来……不太直” 😂 但真正让我印象深刻的是我们的第二次约会。我们约在Gantry Park，他带来了Kaia（他的狗狗）。Kaia第一次见到我时，兴奋地扑在我身上。我们后来找了一家没什么顾客的Irish Pub，看了那年NBA的季后赛。Kaia安静地蜷缩在我们脚边。那一刻，虽然场景陌生，却莫名熟悉。我的心一下子安静下来——这在纽约是很少有的感觉。Kaia和Andy的出现，让在异乡漂泊了两年的我，第一次感觉到了“家”。
六个月后，我们搬到了Gantry Park旁边，也就是我第一次见到Kaia的地方。每次带Kaia回到我们第二次约会的地点，我都感觉一切像梦一样。
我爱你，纽约，谢谢你把Andy带到我身边。
我爱你，Andy，谢谢你完成了我关于纽约的故事。💛