It was Britney Spears (and her unfortunate mishap with a razor) that brought us together. Her bald head plastered on my tabloid caught his attention after I had been eying him all afternoon. We were dating a week later. He told me he loved me later that year as we stood in the rain – and I watched him leave for college the next day.

—Rachael

Postscript: It had been years, but this past summer we had a chance to reconnect. Things were not the same as high school and it didn’t end up lasting. I only realized how much he loved me once I stopped loving him.

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Morning coffee runs were our thing. We had different friends and were dating other people, but a few mornings a week he’d pick me up and we’d drink coffee and talk about books. I fell in love with his mind. One morning I got a text from my boyfriend and my heart sank when I saw it wasn’t from the friend; that’s when I knew I’d fallen for the rest of him too.

—Hayley

Postscript: We still are not together…and I am not with the other guy either…

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Our first date was on St. Patrick’s’ Day. I was dressed to kill with a bright green sweater and starched white shirt, pressed khakis and Weejuns.  She had jeans and a leather jacket. She suggested a place to go for dinner.  Walking in, I noticed the very long bar was full of bikers with heavy boots, lots of ratty hair, wallet-chains  and many layers of smoke in the room. I felt sure I only had a few minutes to live. She introduced me to the guys lined up on the wall watching us play.  All were friends of hers, keeping an eye out for her safety.  I knew she had to be The One.

—Dan

Postscript: for our 25th anniversary, I recorded a 11-minute monologue about this event, remembering my feelings at the time. I presented it to her as a gift.  She was thrilled.

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When I was introduced to Dave he had long hair, wore leather pants and
smoked. Not the person I saw myself with long term. I ended up going on a
date with him and realized I was in love with him because we had so much
fun. I didn’t care what anyone thought. When I brought him home to meet my
family, my mom said to my sister, “That’s who Paula is going to marry
because she can’t control him.”

—Paula

Postscript: 23 years of marriage, 2 kids and I still can’t control him.

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We’re both weird, but not quite in the same ways. I was completely smitten from the first day I met him, only to discover he had married the love of his life the week earlier.

—Alaska

Postscript: We’ll never be lovers, but it’s been worth it just to know him.

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I discovered physical love with him. He was funny and original. We were married for 17 years. We had two children together. During our marriage, sourness began to overtake the sweetness, and I was relieved when it was over.

—Maria

Postscript: We’re forever bound by our children and remain friends.

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I saw a cute guy dressed in white pants, a black-and-white checkered shirt, and a white sailor’s cap. His smile melted me. I saw him every day about the same hour, usually at dusk. I was in love with him, but he had all sorts of girlfriends, and I just knew I would never be one of them.

He left our hometown three years later to go to boarding school in Portugal, and we started corresponding. In one of his letters, he told me he regretted not having really known me. I would occasionally return to Portugal to visit my family, but I never visited the bank where he was the president, fearing the old feelings of love would return.

—Lauri

Postscript: After he passed away, it was my turn to regret never having gone into the bank to see him.

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