25th May 2024,
To the absolute love of my life, 

                                 Hey baby, how are you doing? To be completely honest, I miss you, princess. I really miss you. These past few months have been chaos and ever since you went on a hiatus from all social media including me - which did sting a bit though I understood why you had to - I have been working on myself. Believe it or not, for once in my life, I've been working out. Ha ha, very funny ( note my sarcasm ) yes, I can work out regardless of whatever that pig-head you've been hanging out with says to you. What's-his-name again? Oh, yes, Owen Collins. I still haven't forgiven him and Peony for all the shit they pulled you through. 

Well, in case you are wondering... my finals went well. I believe Professor Diana Chandler is impressed by my performance throughout the year. I mean, frankly speaking, my creative arts professor, Chandler has watched me improve a lot over the past few months. Looking over my progress, my style of writing has drastically changed. She said that there had been a major upgrade in my skills in technical writing. Especially after she had checked out that short story section which was a science fiction fantasy work. 

My side projects have been coming out pretty well too. I have had a couple of ideas but the one my brain has been honed on is a project I started a few weeks ago titled - "The Art of Forgetting". I had the idea over coffee one morning while scrolling through the pictures of us we had taken while we were out shopping for groceries a few years back. It was about a group of friends at university who grew up in the same part of town and went to college. There is a couple, in my head, that's us. And then the girl slowly loses all her memory. 

It's a real struggle. 

I had written a character called Eva. She is not a very important lead in the story or much relevant but I liked her. She was the cousin of my male lead - Theodore. A few days ago while researching, I came across the etymology and Eva meant life. She was the sweetest creature to have existed and the most patient character and truth be told, she would be an amazing mother.

Wondering what I'm trying to do?

Astrid, I know that I use a lot of names for you - sweetheart, princess, baby, doll. There are many of them but none of them struck me the way Eva hit me the day before yesterday while I was munching on nachos dipped in a shit ton of salsa. You're my entire life. You're Eva in every sense. And just like Eva in TAOF, you would someday be the greatest mother - if you wanted to be one. 

So, what do you think about the name, Eva?

Personally, I think it suits you very well, my love. You're so so beautiful and I'm one of the luckiest guys in the world to have you in my arms and to get your love for myself. 

Well, in case you're wondering how this first year has been - in a sentence, it's been very exhausting. I'm downright tired to the bone. And this is not the physical I talk about. It's really been difficult for me to be away from you. The distance isn't very much to cover - not that it is less either but you get my point - it's the difference in schedules and that our lifestyles have shifted too much and too soon. I don't voice it out too often but it is true. 

This same time last year, we practically knew everything about each other, what your breakfast was, where you've been, everything. And now, I just know your friends by their names, and can't relate to the experiences you're going through. Maybe it's all my paranoia manifesting, maybe I'm just a tiny bit high with blurry sight because of overworking for so long to forget about how much I miss you and I could come over, and surprise you but I know that you hate surprises because you've probably have had ideas and plans. 

In less than two weeks, you'll be off to Greece to meet your mum. You're terrified, I can feel it, though I haven't talked to you in a very long time, I just know. But you know what? This is the last time your mother can force you to go visit her, after the 08th of September this year, you're officially your own person and no one can have any power over you, darling. Just one summer with your mum to either tear things up if she's not good for you or make it up together with her. Either way, it's going to go swimmingly. Trust me. And even if everything gets messy and things are fucked up, you still always have your sunshine with you.  

on the other hand, though I absolutely hate to admit it, I am also the tiniest bit worried. Of course, I want you to have the time of your life in Greece, meet new people, and immerse yourself in new experiences, but I am also a tiny bit conscious. Not that you would cheat on me - I trust that you never will but more with the fact that you're going so far away and I'll be missing out on watching that adventurous joy light up your whole existence. You buzzing with excitement for the thrill of something new. And with the fact that it is Greece. Exactly the type of people you're into and find hot. 

I mean, it's stupid - it really is. But what if you meet a cool blonde and like him and form a bond and not tell me? I'm not saying that you will but what if it happens? Things like falling in love are never planned and the biggest worry is that you won't tell me about it for you'd worry about me. And I want you to have fun and do whatever you need to do to be happy but just- please just communicate with me. Don't shut me off from the slightest thought and emotion I'm trying to cling to. The last little bit of you that I still know. 

And if you were wondering about what I'll be up to while you would be spending your days basking in by the beachside, I'll go home for a while. Just a week or more, check out our old spots and the house and other things. Heard from Uncle King recently that Dad was going more and more out of control. 

Luke invited me over to his summer house by the bridge and said we could go out for the week in his car just exploring because of the one time I had opened up to him about how we used to go on little adventures of our own. I miss those times, seem like a heartbeat ago. 

If I don't end up bumping into any of our old classmates, might as well check out what Luke has planned. Truth be told, I like him and I believe you'd both be wonderful friends - even greater as a couple. You're both so alike, he dragged me out to a vinyl museum once and had me take a few of them. I took your favourite - Taylor Swift, of course. 

I'll play it for you the next time we meet again. 

I hope it's soon. 
sunshine