I was Charlie Brown and she was the Little Redhead Girl on the side of the football field.

—Charlie

Postscript: We were too young, and the relationship never matured — another thing in common with Charlie Brown. Oh good grief.

1

We were laying on my bed, my head on his chest, when he said he had something important to tell me. When I sat up, I knew exactly what he was going to say, so I said “Me too.” We smiled at each other and that was that.

—Christie

Postscript: He loved his job more, and gave up on “us” when I told him he was losing me two years later.

1

Our relationship started after we both had suffered serious breakups. I woke up one morning to an emailed picture of her swollen and bloody lip, sent from her mobile phone. She had gone out the night before. Turns out she had seen her ex at a bar, and he kissed her, and she kissed him back. Afterward she felt awful, she made the friend she was with punch her in the face. It is the most bizarre gesture of remorse I think I’ll ever witness.

—Alex

Postscript: It’s now months later and the right side of her lip is still sort of puffy, if you know where to look. It’s her birthday and we’re moving in together.

6

I woke up with a guy that I had just started dating and he randomly blurted out that I was as beautiful and unique as a snowflake.

—Amy

Postscript: Despite feeling that way, he didn’t want a relationship, so the snowflake melted.

2

Six months into dating him, I caught him reading my diary. He had discovered that before dating him, I had been with a married man. We argued for five hours straight, but when we both realized neither one was leaving nor giving up, we knew we were in it for the long haul.

—Professor Mary

Postscript: We’ve been married for nine years, we have three kids and couldn’t be happier, although neither one keeps a journal.

6

I hit a deer with his car. Actually, the deer ran into the car. He was super-concerned about me, not the car. When I kept apologizing, he said “It’s just a tin can. I can replace the car. I can’t replace you.” With this I knew it was love, not just lust.

—Rach

Postscript: It’s six years later and we’ve been married for four of them.

7

When I was 18 and he was 20, he said “Let’s get married by the time I am 25. I’ll propose to you when I’m 24 and three months.” I was so skeptical.

—Nadine

Postscript: I am now 23 and he is 25. We are getting married next May.

4