[ WP ] I feel like there is a lack of love on this subreddit . Write a Love Story !

She had always believed in the importance of being alone. How can you know who are when you are being influenced by another person? They will always come to define a part of you. And if you're not careful you will leave this world a stranger to yourself; never knowing if your convictions and thoughts were truly your own. She never really thought about if she had intended for this to be long term, but she knew she still did n't properly know herself and that was a good enough reason to continue. 
 
 It was n't necessarily an easy path to take. Humans are built with a fundamental need for companionship. To subside this desire she allowed herself to fall into shallow relationships with people she knew had no place in her future. She reasoned this was safe, ignoring the nagging guilt in the back of her mind. Time passed, as it does, and as always a deeper affection replaced it. This always brought her guilt crashing to the forefront of her mind, and she knew it was time to let them go. It was usually too late to leave them unscathed, but the guilt would always succumb to her relief. She was still intact, still safe, still her. She continued on. 
 
 Perhaps it was destiny. Perhaps it was a flawed system, designed to fail. Whatever the reason; it was unexpected. He was unexpected. And is n't that how it always goes? He was the finest, most intelligent and charming person she had never intended to meet. Without meaning to, or even realizing it, she began to struggle against the pattern she had formed for her life. Whether he noticed her conflict or not, he never let on. He flooded her with quiet patience; encouraged her with tenderness. Never pushing too hard, never trying to change her. 
 
 There was n't a distinct moment of sudden clarity where she realized how wrong she had been for all those years. Time passed, and the feeling of guilt never arrived. Somehow, without meaning to, he had changed the way she saw herself. He had shown her an entirely different world than the one she had contrived for herself. Her fears had come to fruition. He had come to define a very important part of her, and yet she was intact. She was safe. She was different. And she knew herself a little bit better than before. 

