Constance started working at Walgreens shortly after I quit. I regularly went back to visit friends when I spotted her one night, standing in the sunblock section. I asked my friends about her and they said that she was a really great person who had gone through a recent breakup. When I tried to convince my friend Tasha to set us up, she said that Constance never wanted to be in a romantic relationship again. I didn’t give up though! I kept coming back to visit my friends and conveniently spent more time getting to know Constance. I eventually got her number and texted her. Apparently, I was funny enough to scare her away from texting me back for several months. Seriously. 😊 I bought a house in the spring of 2022. Constance knew I was stressed out and offered to help fix a few things. We began hanging out more often and texting constantly. I was reminded many times by many people that Constance did not want a romantic relationship. That didn’t stop me from falling harder every day. All of the patience, communication, and hope paid off. Constance took my hand one fateful day in July and has yet to let go. We’ve spent every day since then building a life together. We spend our time together working on our house, being attacked by our kitten, dancing in the kitchen, and visiting every thrift store we can find. I’m very excited to have a day with our family and friends to celebrate our relationship. I’m even more excited to spend the rest of my life with one of the very best people I’ve ever known. “So baby let’s get married!”
For most of my life, healthy love felt elusive. I had experienced several rather painful relationships and became convinced that my brain associated romantic feelings with trauma. So I decided that my journey in life was meant to be traveled solo. When I first met Thea, I was still very adamant that I wasn’t interested in anything other than friendship. I had a feeling Thea was crushing on me and that made me quite nervous and a bit apprehensive to spend time around her. But I started to learn more about her little pieces at a time. And I started finding reasons to be around her more. And the barricade I built around my heart started to crumble, though I was oblivious to it happening. People around me told me the things I desired to do for Thea were not things one does for “just a friend.” But I had convinced myself that I wasn’t interested in her, partly because I wasn’t overcome with the crippling anxiety that had seemed to indicate that I had developed stronger feelings for someone. And then the realization hit me. The feelings I had developed for Thea didn’t cause anxiety because this was something healthier than what I had ever experienced. Thea didn’t create havoc in my head and my heart because she brought peace to those parts of me. So when we ventured to a farmer’s market together last summer and she put her hand behind her in a way that I knew meant she wanted me to take it, I did. And I don’t wish to ever let go. You’re perfect for me, Thea.