**Disclaimer: I read a short story in the second person, loved it... so this is what you get.
It is Sunday. You wake up early, 6 am early. You look out your white-washed window and can tell that summer is over. The sky is still dark and the cool air coming in from the window makes you wonder why you agreed to go fishing at all. The headache from the day before reminds you that you are living in a scattered world, one mixed with social activities and the longing to be away from people. You force yourself out of bed, turn the coffee on and look in the mirror. You can't go out looking that way, even if you are just going to the mountains to attempt fly fishing for the first time. You do what you can to make yourself look presentable.
He arrives on time to take you to the mountains. You have no idea where you are going, or really what you are doing. This guy is a friend, or really the brother of one of your best friends. You have always thought he was cute and that possibly something more is there, but you ignored it. Once in the car the mood shifts. You are really doing this. You had talked about fly fishing before, even with ex-boyfriends, but you never followed through. You fished as kid, with your family, but always on the shore, where your dad and grandpa would be. You wanted to be close to them in case something went wrong. Drinking your warm coffee, you both notice the temperature drop as you get higher into the mountains. There is evidence of newly fallen snow, again you are reminded that summer is over.
He pulls over along the Blue River, it is 37 degrees. He looks at you and decides you might be too cold and it would be better to go up the road until the sun is at least above the mountains. You get to the second fishing spot. He has brought everything you need. He helps you put on the waders, boots and puts your fishing rod together. You are instantly reminded of your dad. You have always fished from the shore, but this time, this time he steps right into the river and looks back at you to help you in. The river is flowing fast and it is cold. The sun is just coming up over the mountains, you take a deep breath and remember what you had been missing for almost 7 years. He tells you that you have to get to the otherside where the water is calmer, where the fishing is better. You just stand there. He promises that he won't let you fall and holds onto you as you cross, ever so slowly, the raging river. Like he promised, you safely get to the other side. He shows you how to fly fish, tells you how great you are and how fast you learned... you wonder if he is being honest or if he is like your dad.
He leads you to a fishing hole and coaches you through the movements. He stands behinds you, holds your hand and helps guide the fly fishing rod. You close your eyes and wonder, could this work? It is in that moment that you remember you had been there before as well. You dated someone in the past that was "off-limits." A situation where if it went well it would be amazing, if it went bad it would ruin your world. Your world was ruined... you remember that. You continue to joke around, get two strikes on your line, watch him catch fish and go home in time to catch the Broncos win.
You want to see where this could go, but you mentally can't let go of the "what ifs." You have already learned this lesson, the hard way.
