Book excerpt: It’s four innings into an Orioles victory when Emma meets Mabel. Their flirty first encounter kicks off the sweetest of summers. One of Blue Ridge Mountain hiking, river floating, and steamy, coffee-fueled mornings. But as the summer closes, Mabel’s insecurities about her same-sex attraction emerge. She heads back to college. Without Emma. Over the next four years, Emma juggles temporary loves, a big move, and new jobs, all while trying to shove down an imagined fairytale outcome with Mabel. Despite distance, Mabel keeps finding her way back into Emma’s life, forcing Emma to consider whether it’s some grand design bringing the two of them back together.