Dear you,

You know exactly who you are.

Congratulations, you won the love of the most incredible person in the world and she just so happens to be my best friend. That must mean you're pretty special and insanely lucky.

Let me start by saying I've been there for her through every boyfriend, every heartbreak, every up and every down, every hardship, every problem– big or small, even her biggest accomplishments. I have never been more proud of someone than I am of her for becoming the selfless person she has grown into over the past nine years. All I have ever wanted for her was a life of happiness and love and someone who was good enough for her. Her graces are unmatched, and her heart is so pure. She is my soulmate, my best friend, my other half and my person, but I'm willing to share her with you.

You are now the subject of her happiness and there are a few things you should know.

It is very easy to fall for her, as you already know, you will be surprised at how much love your heart can feel for one human being. You will notice she is very fragile, her feelings are kept to herself and it's very rare when she opens up because she feels like a burden, but she is so far from that. Please make sure she knows that.

She has many ups and downs and you are now her fallback. I still hear about every good and bad thing that happens between you two and it will remain that way. You are in it for the long-run and so is she. She often finds ways to blame things on herself and I wish more than anything she would stop being so hard on herself, so please try and keep her head up when she gets upset.

She has really pretty eyes and even though you didn't like the color brown before it is now your favorite color. You look at her and see things you never imagined possible. You'll see a sparkle in her eyes and that is her driving force, it sparked something in me I couldn't see in myself and I'm sure it has done to same for you. Please never allow the fire in her eyes to die out.

Her strength is both mesmerizing and frightening. You'll often catch yourself wondering how so much wisdom and love drips from the fingertips of a girl who's been through so much. Look her in the eye and tell her that nothing she does will ever disappoint you. Please don't let her get inside her own thoughts, they'll eat her alive and she'll spend the next four days wondering what she did wrong when in reality it was nothing. Kiss her forehead and make sure she knows you love her.

She will fight for you, but she will not compete for your love and that is something she learned from me. I've spent years building her up and we both refused to let some insignificant boy tear her down any longer. She will look at you like you are the only one in the room. I know she means the world to you, but please make sure she knows that too.

She will open your eyes to so many things. She will help you discover yourself. She will help you see the world in a new light and bring you new experiences. She will engulf you with her mind and eventually she will let you into her world, even the bad parts and when that day comes kiss her wounds especially the ones people have left on her beautiful, beautiful heart. You will soon realize you would rather live in her ribcage, so close to her heart, than here with her because nobody deserves to lose hope the way she has. On her bad days strive to become her moon, the light in her darkest hours.

She has told you about her past and you did not judge her for it, you've been there and held her hand through some of the most difficult times in her life on days that I couldn't physically be there and you have got to know how much it means to me knowing she is in good hands when I'm not around.

She is a dreamer. She has her whole life planned out with dreams that make her eyes widen and her heart jump with joy. Do not tell her that her dreams are far-fetched, because time and time again I've had the privilege of being proven wrong and she still continues to amaze me with her accomplishments. Believe in her, push her toward those goals and she will begin to push you toward your own.

Be patient with her. She gets stressed out easily and you are her punching bag, take the hits at first but be sure to calm her down. Find her happy place and bring her back to it every time she gets upset, I promise it works. Just breathe and make sure she does too.

She is my best friend and I love her with all my heart. There will be times where she chooses to call me instead of you or things she goes through that you just don't understand. When that happens don't think anything of it, she will come to you when she feels the time is right, because as we all know timing is everything. It does not mean she doesn't love you, there are just some wounds only best friends can heal.

But most of all I want you to know that she loves you, she loves you more than you could possibly imagine. She talks about you like you put the stars in the sky and even before I met you I knew I was going to like you. I've never seen her this happy to be alive and in love with life, and I owe that to you for making my best friend finally feel special.

Lastly, I want to thank you. I want to thank you for being there in ways I can't be. I want to thank you for loving her through everything and never giving up on her even when I know she has pushed you away. I want to thank you for being the second most important man in her life, coming second to her dad. I want to thank you for loving her even when she tells you she doesn't deserve it because that's when she really needs it. I want to thank you for being her calm before the storm and dealing with the aftermath. I want to thank you for bringing so much happiness into her life when she was in a dark place. I want to thank you for being such a positive person in her life. I want to thank you for believing in her when she doesn't believe in herself. I want to thank you for seeing a future with her and making sure she sees a future of her own. Thank you for coming into her life when you did, she needed someone like you and no words can articulate the gratitude and appreciation I have in my heart for you. So thank you will have to suffice for now. Please love her whole-heartedly and do not take any time spent with her for granted.

I mentioned before that you were lucky to have her but, likewise, she is so lucky to have found someone like you. It is no longer just my duty to protect her heart, that responsibility also lies in your hands. You have gained my respect, my approval, my appreciation and the love of my best friend–those combined are damn near impossible so I guess you may be the one in a million. You really are the best person in her life, even above me, and the best thing that has ever happened to her. Continue to make all of her dreams come true.

All my love,

Her Person and Her First Other Half