Jack was my senior in college, and our meeting was quite a coincidence.
Every November, our school had a "Women's Month." Female students could write their wishes on cards and hang them on a wishing tree. Boys would then pick the cards and fulfill the wishes.
Jack happened to pick up my card and fulfill my small wish.
Later, we discovered we were both students of the same professor. Frequent encounters led to growing familiarity, and eventually, we ended up together.
Jack's family wasn't wealthy. His parents divorced when he was young, and he lived with his mother.
To lighten the family's financial burden, he often took on various part-time jobs during college, so he didn't have much time to spend with me.
One Christmas, I had planned for him to spend the evening with me. That day, I started getting ready early, and we had agreed to meet at six. By five, I left home with a gift for him.
The gift was the latest iPhone I had saved up for. His phone was three years old and often ran out of battery, making it hard for me to reach him.