I'm Adelimo and this is The Slowdown.

I have always been fascinated by ex-lovers and their role in my life now.

My boyfriend from college and I are still friends.

My two high school boyfriends and I are friendly, though a little distant.

But as the years go by, there are some exes I'd rather not run into, and a few I'd like

to see.

What is it about some people, the ones to whom we're always somewhat connected?

A few months ago I was briefly in New York and one of the first people I ran into outside

the pencil factory in Greenpoint was an ex-boyfriend of mine from over 15 years ago.

He was still kind, funny and handsome.

We laughed and his beautiful young companion took a group photo of us outside on the sidewalk.

He didn't stay for a drink.

But even the short ketchup was, what's the word?

Sweet.

My husband was with me and he and my ex talked briefly about music and the pandemic and

how different everything was and also the same.

It was just good to know we were all safe and okay.

I suppose that's the thing about exes.

Everyone goes on but the moment you share together, that has stopped, stayed frozen like

a film still from a movie.

In today's gorgeous poem, we see an achingly true depiction of the moment when two old lovers

meet again.

...