Letters from Ayla

Hey Robert,

I hope this letter finds you smiling because that's exactly what you do to me every time I see your face. It's like my heart does a little happy dance, and suddenly, everything just feels right in the world.

I can't believe how lucky I am to have you in my life. You bring out the best in me, and I feel like I can be myself around you, no pretenses, no masks, just me. You've become my safe haven, my rock in this crazy world.

I want you to know that I'm here for you, no matter what. Through the good times and the bad, I'll stand by your side, holding your hand and facing whatever comes our way together.

I'm not great with fancy words, but I hope you can feel how much you mean to me. You're not just my boyfriend, you're my best friend, my partner in crime, and the love of my life.

I can't wait to see where this journey takes us, Robert. With you by my side, I know it's going to be one heck of an adventure.

Love always,

Ayla

Hey Ayla,

Your letter seriously put the biggest smile on my face! I mean, I can't stop grinning like a kid in a candy store. You're like the best thing that's ever happened to me, seriously.

I feel like the luckiest guy in the world to have you by my side. You're like my partner in crime, my ride or die, my everything. And let's not forget how you make every day feel like a mini adventure – whether we're out exploring or just binge-watching Netflix in our pajamas.

You're not just my girlfriend, you're my best friend. I know I can be my goofy self around you, and you'll still think I'm awesome (or at least pretend to, which is basically the same thing).

Thanks for being you, Ayla. You're the bomb, and I'm head over heels for you.

Catch you later, babe!

Robert

Hey Love,

Just wanted to drop you a quick note to say how much I adore you. Seriously, you're like my favorite person ever. Every time I'm with you, it's like all my worries just disappear, and I'm living in this little bubble of happiness.

Remember that time we got caught in the rain and ended up dancing like idiots in the street? Yeah, that's one of my favorite memories with you. You always know how to make even the most ordinary moments feel special.

Can't wait to make more memories together. Love you to the moon and back!

XOXO,

Ayla

Hey Babe,

Your letter just made my day! I can't stop smiling thinking about all the crazy adventures we've had together. Dancing in the rain was definitely one for the books – who knew getting drenched could be so much fun?

You're like my sunshine on a rainy day, Ayla. Thanks for bringing so much joy and laughter into my life. Can't wait to make more memories with you, whether they're silly and spontaneous or quiet and cozy.

Love you more than words can say!

Hugs and kisses,

Robert

Hey Love,

I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for being so patient and understanding lately. I know things have been a bit hectic with my work schedule, but your unwavering support means the world to me.

Even when I'm stressed out and exhausted, just being with you makes everything better. You have this amazing ability to calm my racing thoughts and remind me what's truly important in life – us.

I'm looking forward to spending some quality time together soon. Let's plan a cozy movie night or maybe even a weekend getaway. I miss you like crazy, and I can't wait to see your handsome face again.

Love you to the moon and back!

Hugs,

Ayla

Hey Babe,

Your letter brought tears to my eyes. You're always so thoughtful and caring, even when you're the one who's swamped with work. I admire your strength and determination more than words can say.

Don't worry about a thing, Ayla. I'm here for you, no matter what. We'll get through this busy period together and come out even stronger on the other side.

And yes, let's definitely plan some quality time together soon. I miss you like crazy, and I can't wait to hold you in my arms again.

Love you more than you'll ever know!

Forever yours,

Robert

Hey Lovebug,

I hope this letter finds you well and brings a smile to your face. I've been thinking about you non-stop lately, and I just wanted to remind you how much you mean to me.

You're like the missing piece of my puzzle, Rob. With you by my side, everything just falls into place, and I feel complete. I'm so grateful to have you in my life, and I promise to cherish you always.

Let's make some more memories together soon, okay? I'm counting down the days until I can wrap my arms around you again.

Love you to the moon and back!

XOXO,

Ayla

Hey Beautiful,

Your letter made my day! I can't tell you how much it means to me to hear how much you care. You're my everything, Ayla, and I'm so lucky to have you in my life.

I've been thinking about you constantly too, counting down the minutes until I can see you again. Let's definitely plan something special for when we're finally reunited.

Until then, know that you're always in my thoughts and in my heart. I love you more than you'll ever know.

Forever and always,

Robert

Hey Rob,

I hope this letter finds you well. I've been feeling a bit frustrated lately, and I just need to get some things off my chest. It feels like we've been drifting apart, and I'm worried about us.

I miss the connection we used to have, the way we could talk for hours about anything and everything. Lately, it seems like we're always so busy, and we barely have time for each other.

I know life gets hectic sometimes, but I don't want us to lose sight of what's important – our relationship. Can we please make more of an effort to spend quality time together? I miss you, Rob, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make things work.

Love always,

Ayla

Ayla,

I hear you, and I'm sorry if I've been neglecting our relationship lately. Things have been crazy busy on my end, but that's no excuse for not making time for you.

I miss you too, more than you know. Let's make a plan to reconnect and spend some quality time together. I hate the thought of us drifting apart, and I'll do whatever it takes to fix things.

I love you, Ayla, and I promise to make more of an effort moving forward.

Forever yours,

Rob

Rob,

I appreciate your response, but it feels like we're stuck in a rut. We keep saying we'll make more time for each other, but nothing ever changes.

I need more than just words, Rob. I need action. I need to feel like a priority in your life, not just an afterthought.

I don't want to lose you, but I can't keep feeling like this either. Something has to change, and soon.

Ayla

Ayla,

I hear you, and I'm sorry for not following through on my promises. I know I've let you down, and I hate myself for it.

I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make things right. Let's sit down and have a real heart-to-heart about what we both need from this relationship. I don't want to lose you either, Ayla, and I'll do everything in my power to make sure we don't.

Love always,

Rob

Rob,

Thank you for being willing to work on our relationship. It means more to me than words can express. I agree that we need to have a serious conversation about what we both need and want moving forward.

I miss the connection we used to have, and I'm hopeful that we can find a way to rebuild it together. Let's set aside some time this weekend to sit down and talk openly and honestly about our feelings and expectations.

I love you, Rob, and I'm committed to making this work.

Always,

Ayla

Ayla,

I'm glad we're on the same page about working things out. I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I realize how much you mean to me. I don't want to lose you, Ayla.

How about we do something special to reconnect? What do you say we go on a vacation together? Just the two of us, somewhere peaceful where we can relax and focus on each other.

What do you think?

Love always,

Rob

Rob,

I can't tell you how much your suggestion means to me. It's exactly what we need – time away from the distractions of everyday life to focus on each other and rekindle our connection.

I love the idea of going on a vacation together. It sounds like just what we need to remind ourselves why we fell in love in the first place.

Thank you for being proactive in finding a solution to our relationship struggles. I'm grateful for your love and commitment, and I can't wait to embark on this adventure with you.

Counting down the days until our getaway,

Ayla

Rob,

I hope this letter finds you well. I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for the incredible vacation we had together. It was honestly one of the best experiences of my life.

Being able to spend uninterrupted time with you was exactly what we needed to reconnect and strengthen our bond. I cherished every moment we shared, from exploring new places to simply lounging on the beach and watching the sunset.

You were right – getting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life allowed us to focus on each other and remember why we fell in love in the first place. I feel like our relationship has been rejuvenated, and I'm so grateful to have you by my side.

Thank you for being my partner in adventure and in life. I love you more than words can express, Rob.

Forever yours,

Ayla

Ayla,

Your letter brought tears to my eyes. I couldn't agree more – our vacation was absolutely incredible, and I'm so grateful for the memories we made together.

Spending quality time with you, just the two of us, was exactly what I needed to feel reconnected to you and to our relationship. From exploring new places to simply enjoying each other's company, every moment was special to me.

Thank you for being my partner in crime and for always supporting me. I love you more than you'll ever know, Ayla, and I can't wait for our next adventure together.

Forever and always,

Rob

Rob,

I miss you. I miss us. I miss the way things used to be before this stupid argument tore us apart. I hate that we're both too stubborn to reach out and make things right.

I know we both said things we didn't mean in the heat of the moment, but that's no excuse for letting this rift between us grow. I'm tired of pretending like everything's okay when it's not.

Can we please talk, Rob? I hate feeling like we're drifting further and further apart with each passing day.

Love,

Ayla

Ayla,

I miss you too, more than you'll ever know. I hate that we're in this place, and I hate myself for letting things spiral out of control.

You're right – we need to talk. I can't stand the thought of us growing apart because of one stupid argument. Let's sit down and hash things out like adults.

I love you, Ayla, and I'll do whatever it takes to make things right between us.

Love always,

Rob

Rob,

I'm glad we're on the same page about talking things out. I hate feeling like we're drifting apart, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to fix things.

But I need you to meet me halfway. I need you to listen to what I have to say without getting defensive. And I need you to understand where I'm coming from.

Can we please do that? Can we put our pride aside for the sake of our relationship?

Love,

Ayla

Ayla,

I promise to listen without getting defensive, and I promise to try to understand where you're coming from. I hate the thought of us drifting apart because of one stupid argument.

Let's meet up and talk things out. I want nothing more than to put this behind us and move forward together.

Love always,

Rob

Rob,

Thank you for agreeing to talk things out. I hate that we let this argument come between us, but I'm hopeful that we can work through it together.

Let's make a plan to meet up and talk things out. I'm confident that if we approach this with open hearts and open minds, we can come out stronger on the other side.

Love,

Ayla

Rob,

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and I've come to the painful realization that we're just not meant to be together. As much as it hurts to say this, I think it's time for us to go our separate ways.

Our relationship has been on shaky ground for a while now, and despite our efforts to work through our issues, it's clear that we're not making each other happy anymore. The love we once shared has faded, and I can't ignore the fact that we've grown apart.

I'll always cherish the memories we made together, Rob, but I can't keep pretending like everything's okay when it's not. We both deserve to find happiness, even if it means letting go of what we had.

Please know that this decision wasn't made lightly, and it breaks my heart to say goodbye. But I believe it's the best thing for both of us in the long run.

I wish you nothing but the best, Rob. You're an amazing person, and I'll always be grateful for the time we shared together.

Take care of yourself.

Goodbye,

Ayla

January

“She sent me that letter 3 months after we tried fixing things.” I say to my therapist as she skims through the letters that I gave her. She peers over her glasses and looks at me.

She scoots forward in her chair and says to me, “She seemed to have something else on her mind when she wrote these last few letters. Like her full attention isn't on you and on something or someone else, did she seem distracted when you two would meet up?”

“Uh, no I don't think so. She always gave me her full attention when we were in person but over the letters and text was a different story.” I told her, fidgeting with my hands trying to stay focused.

She looks over the letters one more time and puts them down. She takes off her glasses and sits back in her chair. She puts her clipboard down and looks at me.

“Rob, you obviously loved her and by these letters, she loved you. But you need to get past this relationship as difficult as it sounds. As people we need to grow and experience life. You living in the past with this relationship isn't healthy. You need to let loose.” She said to me softly. I could tell she truly meant this. I looked down and started thinking about it. Since Ayla left me, I've been mulling around not doing anything with my life. I have been working and nothing else. I need to go and experience life.

“What do you suggest?” I look up and ask her, whatever she says I'm willing to do. I need to get over Ayla.

“Well, you're very tense Robert. Both emotionally and physically, so I'm sending you to a yoga class.

“Yoga?”

…

After Dr. Olivia recommended me to the yoga class, I was skeptical about it. Because in my mind, how is yoga supposed to help me? Like what am I supposed to do downward dog my way out of sadness? But I listened anyway and went. My first day I walked in, I instantly regretted going, this was a female class, there were only women in it. I walked over the bench and put my stuff down and a woman walked over to me started asking me questions

“How are you?” She asked me, wearing a warm inviting smile.

“I'm good and you?” I asked, smiling back at her.

“Oh I'm good. Are you here with someone or just watching?” She questioned, probably trying to understand what a random dude was doing at an all female yoga class.

“My therapist recommended I come here, but judging by the crowd, I think she gave me the wrong address. I'll go if you want?” I told her, trying to sound as sincere as possible.

I hoped she would say I could go so that way I wouldn't have to go this, but she told me I could stay.

So for the next few weeks I went to this yoga place and talked to her, her name is Grace if you were wondering. She's awesome. She's smart, funny, she has a great smile and always encourages you to keep going. But for now, I think we should just be friends. I dont think I’m ready for that kind of commitment yet.

February

“Oh my god, Robert, is that you?” she yelled over the sound of the cars and subway.

I spun around to see who was yelling at me, and I saw her. “Oh Ayla, hey how are you? I asked, also yelling over the traffic. I tried to fake a smile but just couldn’t.

“Do you wanna get some coffee and catch up?” She yelled, smiling at me.

“I'm busy, sorry.” I yelled back. I was so angry I was worried I'd say something out of pocket.

“Are you sure? It'll only take, like, 20 minutes.” She asked me, it seemed it would have meant a lot if I went. I thought for a second and decided to go, what's the worst that can happen?

“So what have you been up to? It's been a while since we last talked.” She asked me while taking a sip of her coffee.

“I've been going to therapy and taking yoga classes. I've been trying to reassess everything and really better myself, how about you?”

“First, I'm so proud of you! It takes a lot to admit that you have issues. Second, I have a gallery in two months. It's with my fiance Harper.” she told me.

The world kinda slowed down after that, what do you mean fiance? We've been broken up for 7 months, I just started thinking about seeing Grace, and you're engaged? I was done after that so I made an excuse and walked out. I told her my mom needed me, she believed me. My mom passed away 7 years ago, while me and her were dating. She went to the funeral, she was in the room when my mom passed on. Obviously she isn't as attentive as I thought she was.

I texted Grace and asked if she could come over to talk, we've gotten kinda close over the past month and Olivia's office hours are over. Grace knocked at my door and I let her in.

“Soooo, whatcha wanna talk about?” She asked me, looking very puzzled.

“I saw my ex today.” I told her. I should have eased into it. I'm an idiot.

“Oh?” She asked me, trying her best not to sound or look disappointed.

“I had a cup of coffee with her, apparently she's already engaged to someone else. I think she invited me to their art gallery.” I explained to Grace, I saw her look sort of relieved I hadn't done anything with Ayla.

“Well, are you going?”

“What?”

“Are you going to the art gallery?”

“I mean, probably not.”

“You should, we should go together.”

“Are you sure? I don't want to make it awkward for -”

“Rob, you're going and you're taking me to this whether you like it or not.”

…

I stepped into Ayla's art gallery, my heart pounding in my chest as I remembered our shared past. It was a world where we used to live together, where we used to love. The gallery was bustling with art enthusiasts, but all I could see was Ayla, looking radiant as ever. I felt a pang of nostalgia and regret.

"Robert," Ayla greeted me, her voice as enchanting as I remembered. "I wasn't expecting you." Her words hit me harder than she could ever know.

"I wanted to see your success, Ayla," I responded, trying to sound confident. Yet, her mere presence was enough to make my knees weak.

Next, Ayla introduced me to Harper, a man she intended to spend her life with. His character seemed to be in complete opposition to Ayla's. His overly confident smirk made a bitter imprint on my perception of him.

"I understand you've been through some career hiccups recently," Harper spoke with a condescending smile. I kept my hands relaxed on my sides, striving to maintain my calm. That's when Grace stepped in, my date for the evening. She was a breath of fresh air in the stifling atmosphere of the gallery.

“Harper," Grace began assertively, "One's value cannot be defined by their professional ups and downs."

Harper looked taken aback, and the room fell silent. I looked at Grace, she smiled at me. I think I love this woman. Ayla would have never done that for me, but Grace, who's known me less than a month, went out of her way to defend me. Ayla then asked me if we could speak privately, I looked to Grace and she nodded, so I went with Ayla.

"We were too young, Robert," Ayla said, her voice full of regret. "We didn't understand how to nurture a relationship."

“That's a new one.” I said, rolling my eyes.

“Excuse me?” she asked sounding offended

“Of all the excuses you used during our relationship, that was a new one.” I explained, stirring my cocktail.

“Asshole!” She yelled at me, walking away.

"You okay?" Grace asked, her eyes full of concern. I nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over me.

"I think I'm more than okay, Grace," I confessed, looking deep into her eyes. She gave me a comforting smile.

At that moment, I felt something I hadn't felt in a long time. A spark. A connection. A sense of belonging. Without thinking, I leaned in and kissed Grace. It was a gentle kiss, full of promise and hope for a new beginning. She responded with equal fervor, her hands running through my hair. It was a moment of pure bliss, a moment of release. We pulled apart, both of us breathless.

"Would you like to come to my apartment?" Grace asked, her voice barely a whisper.

I nodded, feeling a sense of excitement. "I'd love to, Grace," I said, holding her hand. We left the gallery, ready to explore our newfound connection. That night, I didn't just leave behind Ayla's gallery. I left behind the past, and welcomed a new chapter in my life. With Grace.

.