Insert Snazzy Title Here

To start off, I'll just skip right to the end of the story: I think I have a girlfriend.

Yes. That's right. I have a girlfriend.

We hung out again this afternoon. There wasn't anything significant about it, though. We were just going to hang out. Then we had dinner, and again, there was nothing heavy in the conversation. We were mostly just having fun and screwing around. Then it got heavier after we left the place.

I'm not even sure how we got on the subject. Something was said, by her, about whether or not we're on the same page, which echoed an earlier conversation that's been kind of sticking in my craw since she and I had our dust-up, and I had to call her on it. "I really have no idea if we're anywhere near the same page anymore. I used to think I knew, but now I'm really not clear on any of it."

This led to a much longer conversation, and it got heavy. There were some lingering issues I needed to get off my chest, and likewise for her. And we went back and forth. And there were a few things I was determined to get a straight answer on, and she gave me a lead in to ask just what she wanted anyway. There was a long pause, she started to get a little upset, and finally said, "I want you."

I'll tell you what ... wasn't expecting that. So that led to more conversation. I stood firm on where I've been standing for the past however many weeks, even though I wish I'd been able to express myself better than I did here. I was almost so wary about scaring her away again that I didn't know what to say or do. And when the question came from her, "What do you want from me?" ..... I was almost paralyzed by it.

There was more discussion. She got upset. She's been hurt *very* badly before by a lot of people, she's afraid she's going to hurt me, and it's hard to combat those things. I mean, I'm asking her to take a big leap of faith on me and to trust me that I'm not going to hurt her like other people have. She tried to scare me off, but I wouldn't budge. I admitted that I was terrified of all this, too. It's been so long since I've cared enough to even attempt something like this, nevermind stand my ground and fight for it, that I barely know what I'm doing. But I'm trying. I'm trying.

We finally got around to a point where she said she was willing to give it a shot. It's tentative. Neither of us know where it's going. But we're willing to try it.

Whoa.

And that is a little frightening, yes, but very exciting.