To a Strange Woman

Dear Stephanie,
Have you ever had someone in your life that changed you so completely? Someone that can make you laugh when all you want to do is sob, someone who is always there for you, and cares about you more than you could ever know? Have you ever thought you'd found said person, and had it backfire in your face? I have. His name was Josh. I thought we were so fantastic together. I could call him up crying and he could make me feel better. My mum never really liked him. He lived in a group home and ran away from home two years ago. We lived in different cities, and attended different schools, but we'd talk so often that often the battery in my phone died. Back then, I thought I was going to marry him. We were engaged. But now, I can see how detrimental that relationship was to me. He was a very jealous, overprotective guy. He was shorter than me, and had gender identity issues. He was just chock full of problems. He got angry when I became slightly jealous of his girl friends. I could never talk about my best friends to him, a few of them being guys. He went to one of his (girl) friend's house to help her babysit or some story like that. I became worried when he didn't call for quite some time. I was on the edge of that place where girls start to make up ridiculous stories about where their man is. I stayed away from the possibility that he was hooking up with this girl. Then he called. And can you imagine my distress when he said that's exactly what he did? I was furious, how could he do something like this to me? Cheating is the one thing in the world I cannot forgive easily. But he sweet talked his way out of it. And I gave him another chance.
That was a mistake. It happened again, but this time with a friend of my best friend. He wanted to break up so he could go spend a weekend with her in a hotel room. I was so hurt, I ignored him for a week or so. He called me and said I had hurt him by ignoring him and blocking him from my sites. He and my best friend, Clara began discussing me behind my back. At our church's small group, he sat on the couch next to me and Clara, with his arm around Clara, after we had broken up. That night I was furious. Like raving, boiling rage.
That night I was online, still fuming, trying to find an outlet to vent. A sort of acquaintance of mine, Rob, was online, we had only been talking online, even though we eat lunch together just about every day. He was sounding depressed, because he and his girlfriend had broken up, so I cheered him up. I asked him if I could vent to him, and he most kindly said sure. So, I had a three hour conversation with him via AIM. I felt so much better after talking to him about the whole Josh thing. Eventually our conversation turned into something different. I can't quite explain it. Somehow, he asked me out, and I accepted.
The next day at school, people were quite shocked by this turn of events. We never really talked before, and now we were dating? Rob is a quiet, shy individual until you know him. I had always thought he was anti-social, but I always liked his hair. It's shoulder length, thick and wavy. Once when he had his hair pulled back, I thought he looked like Orlando Bloom.
Two days after these events, I had another Youth Group at church. I brought Rob, and Josh brought Lacey (the girl he dumped me for, however I know her too). Clara can see auras, and freaked out because she thinks Rob has a dangerous aura, a black one. She was so concerned she called me eight times after running out of the church. Josh informed me he didn't know what I was doing "with a sketchy guy like that," or what I was trying to do by dating him. Since then, Clara has come around, and she is happy that I'm happy. Rob understands that Clara doesn't hold great affection for him, and lets me go see her, whenever she's around.
All this drama unfolded about four months ago. Now I don't talk with Josh, Clara and I are still very close, and Rob and I are closer than ever. I try to not bring Josh up to Rob, and when I do, Rob listens and says he's sorry I had to go through that. I tell him, I am a stronger person for it.
Loving someone with all your heart is a perilous adventure. You are handing them all the power in the world over you. You have to trust them with it. Josh broke the trust we had. I still have issues with trusting guys. But Rob is restoring my faith in nice guys. He has never cheated, never made me cry, and he is the best any girl could ask for. He is a great romantic, and a chivalrous sweetheart to boot. I am in deep with him now. I can't imagine being without him. I am so comfortable being with him, our friends are mutual, and neither of us are jealous people. I wish there were a stronger word than love to describe us. If you were ever present in our company, you'd know, we are one of those couples that you just KNOW are going to last forever. We've heard it many times.
I guess what I'm saying is, Love changes people, it is a very powerful emotion, and its power can be abused easily. Rob is the initiator of my greatest change, and Rob is the one who makes me want to be a better person, even though I know he loves me anyway.
Yours most sincerely,
Abby