Dating : This was the first magical date I had with a guy.

And so was the second one. And so was the twentieth one. And the hundredth one. I won’t go into details, but let’s just say we had some fun that night, and I don’t remember sleeping much. Maybe an hour or two.

We had the most incredible time together, and although I saw Steven on and off for three more years, went on a few more dates and enjoyed a few more wild nights together, it was that first night with him I’ll never forget.

Finally, after nearly three years, I had my first magical night with a guy, and in some ways, this was the one that meant the most. Because it showed me that happiness was possible. It showed me I could be myself and have an incredible time with another guy, a guy too cute to imagine, a guy who was intelligent and ambitious and articulate.

There are lots of milestones in the life of a young gay man, but the one that’s rarely talked about is the milestone of the first great date. The first time a date with a member of the same sex feels normal, feels good, feels special. A date where you realize that you’re going to be okay, and that you will find love eventually. Maybe not this year. Maybe not next year. But soon.

This was that date for me.

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Brian Rowe is an author, teacher, book devotee, and film fanatic. He received his MFA in Creative Writing and MA in English from the University of Nevada, Reno, and his BA in Film Production from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He writes young adult and middle grade suspense novels, and is represented by Kortney Price of the Corvisiero Agency. You can read more of his work at his website, brianrowebooks.com.