perspective

I remember the night I first knew he was someone I wanted to be with. And not just be with, REALLY be with. The precise moment when I realized I wanted every part of him every day, even the bad parts. I wanted to exist in his life and world and learn from him. It's a feeling that is somehow overwhelming, it makes the world both gigantic and simultaneously tiny. He's expanded my heart, and given me tunnel-vision. It's all a cliche and it's all cheesy, but he's my future.
This is how it happened, more or less. We were friends. We are still friends. He is younger than I am, I had just gotten out of a shitty relationship, so had he. There were so many reasons no. And yet, it was just right. Sometimes you meet another person, whether it be romantically or as a best friend, and despite any obstacles or potential problems, you just know within yourself that this is your path. I am happy every day. When I met him, I paid little attention. I am not the shy girl I was a few years ago, I am not the girl who scopes out each boy as a potential mate. I was just Being. As was he. We have mutual friends. We had fun in groups. We talked through electronic devices regularly. Then it stopped being regularly, and constantly. I moved to Richmond, I went out at night, I met new friends. I came home on weekends to work. We hung out. One night he swam in a pool and I sat at the edge, and when he surfaced for air, he smiled at me and placed his hand on the curve of my ankle while talking to me, and essentially from that moment on I was hooked.
One of the beautiful things about life is no matter how right you think you are or how much you believe in something, you can always be proved wrong. He did this for me about many of my ideas, especially about relationships with other people. He is someone I can be myself with and be happy every moment of the day. It is easy. It is right. He is understanding, and accepting, and listening. He does not tell me what to do. He is true. It makes me better, it fills me with pride.

One night we spent the night in his car because we had nowhere else to go. We talked for 6 hours straight. Our bodies were entangled and we were both drifting in and out of sleep, a comfortable and happy silence between us, and he whispered "I love you"
Never has it meant more, never could I have understood how powerful a statement that is.
I love you too.