I don't really know if this story fits in here, but it sure caused a broken heart. It's a bit long, but I'd appreciate if you read it and wrote your comments/thoughts.

About fifteen years ago I heard her voice the very first time. It was the first summer holiday of high school and some people from school had went out to camp in the countryside. A girl went to find a payphone because she needed to call her friend Anna who recently broke up with her boyfriend. I came along and for some strange reason was listening in on the call. The voice from the telephone was so sweet and soft. I was curious about Anna since that moment.

It was not until a couple of months later that I met her the very first time. She was meeting her friend - my classmate, and I tagged along. Her kind eyes and her smile was so appealing, and the way she tilted her head when she was reflecting over something was so cute.

Over time I got to know her. As a friend of a friend, but occationally just us two. Every time I met her I felt totally in love. I was so happy! However, I did not get any signals back that she felt the same way, and shy as I was (and still am), I did not approach her any more. I always thought that I did not stand a chance with her given the competition.

The end of high school approach and we guys were looking for dates to take to the prom. Anna went in a class with more girls than boys, but I really didn't know if she had a date or not. I took weeks to gather what courage I had, and finally, by proxy, managed to ask her to the prom. I was of course set for a decline, but she gladly accepted at once. I was in shock! A very positive one!

Before graduating, and just before the prom, my class went abroad for some serious partying. A girl in my class came on to me really hard and we ended up an item. Quite confusing for me since I didn't have very strong feelings for that girl. But I liked her and Anna still seemed to be far from falling in love with me.

The prom came and I went there with Anna. I didn't know what to feel. I still loved Anna deeply but thought that I could never get the same love back. The girl I was dating I knew that I had. I told Anna about her, and Anna seemed a bit sad. Not much, just a bit.

One week later school was out and I was doing my conscript time in the Army.
I broke up with the girl from my class, but stayed in touch with Anna who also had moved away from our home town to work as an au-pair.

We exchanged letters a lot. In fact the female army mailman was jeleaus on me because I got that many letters. The other guys normally just called their friends.

After quitting the army a year later I started studying at the university. Yet another town, and Anna moved around a bit as well to study.
I met my current girlfriend at the university and I was very happy with her.
At one time both me and Anna happened to be visiting back home at the same time. We got together and I told her about my girlfriend.

She said that she was very happy that I found someone, and that she actually felt relieved. (I don't really know what she meant)

Years passed, and my contact with Anna was a bit more sporadic. An occational text message or phone call. Or some planned get together along with some of the guys from school. Quite often my current girlfriend did also tag along.

A couple of years ago I got a call from my classmate: Anna is seeing a man, it is serious. And it was. Just a couple of months later I got a dreaded wedding invitation in my mailbox. Anna was going to marry this guy, more than ten years her senior.

I was of course saddened by this, but at the same time I was a bit happy for Anna. After all she didn't seem to love me, just like me as a friend.

We went to the wedding. But by chance we both misread the invitation and showed up an hour late, missing all but the last words of the ceremony.
I see that as almost an act of God. I do not know how I would have survived witnessing Anna swearing her love to another man. Anna looked so happy, and I was happy for her, in a way.

Up until now this has been a fairly normal unanswered love story. But there is one more thing to tell.

Anna had worked extra as a nurse on a home for elderly and she had taken care of a relative of mine there. While doing that, she met my grandmother.

My grandmother recently revealed something that Anna had told her, and that she had sworn never to tell me:

Anna had told her that she did not want anything else than to marry me and live with me for the rest of her life.

She did love me after all.

Now how about that?