Dear (other) J,

We met a year before I started liking you when you came into my workplace before you started working there.

At first, I thought you were the most annoying, rude and irritating person I'd ever met (besides D).

However, after we became coworkers, you quickly became one of my favorite people to spend time with.

When we were put on the schedule together, work became one of my favorite activities.

I was going through a really hard time when we started working together, but your energy and positive vibes kept me going.

Getting promoted was bittersweet because even though I got more hours and a pay raise, I didn't get to work with you anymore.

You were my favorite person then, and you're still my favorite person now.

I remember the day I fell for you down to the last detail.

It was two summers ago when I came into work knowing I should've been at home. I was getting sick, but we didn't have anyone to cover my shift, so I went in anyways.

A huge wall came down that day when we needed to rely on one another.

With our shift starting and ending in disaster, we had to stick together (especially since the boss was nowhere to be found).

Since it was super slow that day, we had time to sit outside and talk. We never got to do that since our job was super stressful, so it was nice to have some down time to just relax.

Eventually, we found ourselves deep in conversation about something I can't remember, but I remember one thing: I was scared as heck.

With everything I'd experienced that year, I was terrified of forming close relationships with anyone, let alone close romantic relationships.

As soon as I realized we were about to have a moment, I ran inside to clean something that was probably already clean.

I didn't even realize I had developed feelings for you until one of my regular customer's daughter asked me about you.

She asked me why I worked so hard when I closed the store, and I told her, "Well, J opens the store in the morning, and I want to make sure everything is nice for J when they get here."

In a playful sing-song voice, she asked me, "Do you like them?"

Then my coworker chimed in teasing, "Yeah Sarah, do you like them?"

Apparently I turned as red as the strawberries I was cutting when I tried to think of a response.

I'm surprised you didn't catch on quicker than you did. Between giving you hugs out of nowhere (which I never did before), cleaning the store extra hard, leaving you snacks with notes written in cursive and constantly inviting you everywhere, I was sure I'd given myself away.

I found out just recently that apparently I did.

Even though we never ended up together and my feelings for you are now solely platonic, you have remained one of my favorite people.

You are my go-to person for trampoline park hangouts, karaoke sessions and trips to Buffalo Wild Wings.

We may not see each other every day anymore, but I will always love you as one of my best friends no matter where life takes me.

See you next month for karaoke!

Love, Sarah