So... good birthday?

Mm, considering it was over a month late

Okay well, well when we met

it had just passed

If you think about it, I'm 11 months early

I know I'm kidding

It was a really nice surprise

So was meeting you

You're welcome

(laughter)

(laughter)

(typing)

Hey, I think I need some air

Wanna take a break with me?

We can go get some ice cream

You know I can't right now, Janice

So, for my birthday next week

Do you think I should do a big party or,

just something small with close friends?

Whatever you want

Doesn't matter to me

I want it to matter to you

(sigh) Okay, sorry

What's going on

Nothing.

Don't... do that.

Something's obviously on your mind.

It's hard for me to explain.

Well, can you try?

Otherwise it's just gonna build up inside you and I'm gonna be in more trouble for it later

Um...

You like working with charts and graphs, right?

Sure.

Imagine....

A graph

One axis

is our emotional investment in each other

The other axis

is time.

I want to tell you a story

A story

about two hearts

that started in very different places

and the day they switched spots.

Do you remember when we first met?

Of course I do.

(Skype call sounds)

Hi!

Can you hear me?

Yup, this is Sean.

Uhh, I think we're still waiting on Jeff and Linda from marketing.

Hi Sean

Analytics, right?

Yeah.

I'm Janice from the product team.

Nice to meet you.

You too.

Not how we met, but

how you felt when we did.

Hey, sorry we're late

Yeah, thanks for waiting.

Hey guys! It's okay,

Janice was uh just correcting all my data.

Alright, so

It's been looking good...

Even though it was through a webcam,

I could still see the shine in your eyes

that's how enamored you were.

I'll never forget how hard you tried

to keep that boring conference call going.

Is that my line way up there?

Yeah.

You were sprung.

Guess I was pretty excited to have met you.

But, you weren't having any of it

(chuckles)

Yeah

And I'm sorry for being so standoffish

I did think you were cute

But I kept my distance

Safe to say

my line started very low

You were doubtful of yourself.

and of falling in love.

There were so many times in my past that,

I had thought I had found something real.

From

high school puppy love

to

college boyfriends

and

each time they ended

I felt so stupid

Why did I allow myself to fall?

Why did I let my walls down?

So I built them higher

To protect myself from

people trying to make me believe again

But then you came along

You came along with your smile

your strong hands

your

funny hashtags and perfect use of emojis

You came along with confidence

not just in yourself

but in our potential

I felt emotions stirring but

I kept them down

I told myself not to get attached

Convincing myself I wasn't that interested

But instead of getting discouraged

you could tell that I was just afraid

So you sent messages to make me smile

you listened

to difficult answers

You let your arm graze mine and

brushed my hair to the side

You really believed that after all the failed relationships

in each of our pasts

that this is what it was all for

Then one day

you made me believe too

(music)

With every night spent in your arms

with every time I called you boyfriend

my emotions grew and my dependence on you deepened

And for some time

I enjoyed this rise in my line

We both did

(music)

But something happened after a while

something...

I saw in all my past relationships

and so many around me.

As my line continued to rise

your line began to fall

And despite sensing this

I kept holding on to the hope that it was temporary

and it would eventually level out

And the sad thing is

the more I saw it fall

the deeper I fell

I became afraid of losing you

But Sean, I have been here before

and I know where this goes

If our lines continue to go this way

then they will eventually cross

And pretty soon

the guy who

looked forward to conference calls with me

will find excuses to hang up

And the girl who avoided you for weeks

will end up crying over losing you

I'll toil over how someone

who was so anxious to be with me

can become so indifferent

Where do those emotions go?

What happens to that wonder?

Why does interest inevitably diminish after the start

of a relationship?

You got me.

Is that all you wanted?

Did you not want to keep me?

This is where are now Sean

Right here.

I still believe in you

and that we don't have to end up that way

But this is where we are right now

I need to know

which way are you going?

(music)