Page 70 of The Incredible Kindness of Paper
Chloe
Fourteen years ago
On the first day of college, Chloe looked around the freshmen registration table at the University of Kansas. Logically, she knew Oliver wouldn’t be there, but a tiny part of her still held out hope that he would return.
But even though there were a lot of familiar faces among the Jayhawks, none of them were his.
Oliver
On the first day of college, Oliver looked around the freshmen registration table at Harvey Mudd. Logically, he knew Chloe wouldn’t be there—why would she come to a small, MIT-like college in Southern California?—but a tiny part of him still held on to habit, hoping she’d appear by his side.
But there were no familiar faces among the Stags. Certainly none of them were hers.
Chloe
Ten years ago
She was nervous about her interview at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. It was forty-five minutes from where she’d grown up, but KC was arealcity and seemed like an entire world away. Still, four years of college had gone by in a blink, and now it was time to grow up for real.
So, wearing her least crazy blouse and a pencil skirt, Chloe took a deep breath, and walked in the museum entrance.
After only twenty minutes, they fell in love with her and offered her a job on the spot.
She said yes.
Oliver
Eight minutes down the road, Oliver was nervous for his interview at Great Range Capital in Kansas City. He hadn’t meant to come back to this part of the country, but he knew he’d have better odds of landing a job if he cast his net wide—after all, it was a numbers game—so there he was. Besides, four years of college had gone by in a blink, and now it was time to grow up for real.
So, wearing the one suit he owned, Oliver took a deep breath, and walked in the office door.
After only twenty minutes, they were sold on his brilliant mathematical mind and offered him a job on the spot.
But that same afternoon, he was accepted into a math PhD program in New York.
Oliver said no to Kansas City, and yes to the Big Apple.
Chloe
Four years ago
New York
Newly single and missing the festiveness of Kansas Gingerbread Christmas at her grandma’s, Chloe headed to the ice rink at Rockefeller Center. She used to be timid about skating when she was younger, until Oliver taught her how during that first winter of first grade. Ever since, she could spend hours twirling or even just lazily circling the ice, feeling snowflakes fall on the freckles of her cheeks.
She always missed him during this time of year.
Oliver
Oliver paused in front of Rockefeller Center. It was over the top with Christmas decorations: an enormous tree lit up with a rainbow of sparkling lights, wreaths, and giant ornaments and sparkling gold angels heralding the season of joy. He thought for a second about going in, renting skates, and spending an hour or so just circling the ice.
But then he missed her, that Chloe-shaped hole in his heart aching, and he couldn’t stand to be reminded.
And so he walked on.
Three years ago
He passed right by her on the High Line, the one-and-a-half-mile-long park built on an old, elevated train line. Chloe was going south and Oliver, north. But just moments before they would have crossed paths, she turned away to look at a piece of art, so unfortunately, he did not see her.
