Inside Our Time: Love in the Time of Corona by Gayle Ann Weinstein

Jack and Jill met on J-Date two weeks and a day before the city was shut down because of the Coronavirus. They emailed every day or so and finally decided to meet at a coffee shop halfway between. Both were mostly fair representations of their photographs. Jill didn’t wear glasses in the photo and it had been taken about five years before. Jack looked a bit paunchier and was likely a few years older than his photo.
More concerning to Jill was the fact that when she waved at Jack from the table where she was sitting, he didn’t respond. She got up and approached him at the ordering counter.
“Jack?”
He smiled, but didn’t seem to recognize her. “Yes.
“I’m Jill.”
“I didn’t recognize you.”
“I would have taken off my glasses but I wouldn’t have been able to see you. Ever since Oprah started wearing her 500 different pairs, glasses have become chic.”
They sat together in front of a fake fireplace.
“I had no idea,” Jack said. He took a pair of reading glasses out of his pocket and put them on. “That’s better. You’ve already clarified my life.”
“Hope that’s a good thing.”
“When you changed our meeting date, I thought you were blowing me off.”
“The weather in February is so unpredictable in Chicago, I didn’t want to have to drive in 6 inches of snow.”
She sipped her coffee.
“And it never did snow. Not even a dusting.”
“I was surprised when you said you belonged to my synagogue,” he said.
“I just joined at the High Holidays.”
“That explains it, I guess. I go out of town.”
They talked another hour or so and shook hands before going to their cars.
The next day the governor of the state announced a “stay at home” order.
Jill’s email: I guess we can’t meet for a while.
Jack’s email: We can email. That will take care of the waiting period.
Jill’s email: Not necessarily. Emails are not dates.
Jack’s email: Our first fight. I can’t wait to make up.
Jill’s email: Time will tell.
Thank you Gayle, for your story! “Inside Our Time” digital series: