I am the girl who swore she would never fall for anyone again. For the past three years I had been the single girl-- the one who knew how to be okay on her own, even when the universe seemed like it was acting against her. Sure, I would play the field, but I never felt like I cared for anyone else enough commit to anything serious. In fact, the entire idea of being that close with anyone again made me feel like I was going to lose everything I had worked so hard for.

Then there was you. You had no intention on dating anyone either, but when I spoke to you I felt like I already knew you. It's as if I could see my own soul in the reflection of your eyes-- I was terrified.

I almost let my own demons take over because as the daughter of a woman who had been in and out of an abusive relationship her entire life, it was hard to believe that every genuinely kind human wasn't an illusion.

Coping with everything I had seen, had stopped me from believing congenial intentions existed. I was torn between my authentic feelings and my over protective instinct to runaway from things that might hurt me in the end.

There is no easy way to tell someone that you fear them because of something that someone else did. And I knew you deserved to know the mess you were getting yourself into when you decided to get to know me.

I knew you were different when you didn't runaway. When you told me that the truths that I felt were flaws, didn't make me a damaged person at all. You told me instead that you saw the strong person who came out of the circumstances.

I don't know what the future will hold, but I know that meeting you has taught me the high standards I need to hold for people in my life. You have made me believe in humanity.