In August of this year, my long-term boyfriend and I broke up for about a month and a half. It was my decision, and my fault, and I am adult enough to fully own up to that now. I am a big believer in fate, so although it was a very difficult time in both of our lives, I would not change it, even if I had a second chance.

We both grew immensely from the time, both individually and as a couple. I found myself during my time by myself, I grew stronger emotional bonds with a few of my friends, and I learned to be a little more independent. I was living by myself during that time, something that I have feared my entire life. I put my paranoia and scaredy-cat-ness behind me because I knew, in the long run, it would be good for me.

Ever since my boyfriend and I first started dating, I have called him my little honeybee. I’m not sure how it started, but again, fate – the first time I met his mom, I saw that she had a honeybee tattooed on the back of her neck with his name beside it, which I obviously had no idea about. The name has stuck, even two and a half years later. This name made even more sense during this time of separation between us.

During those two months, my honeybee was persistent. He was there for me, every single day, buzzing in my ear. He gave me space when I swatted, but kept the distance between us small. He didn’t let me get too far away, and during those two months I saw it as clingy, and annoying, but now, I am eternally grateful for his tenacity.

Now, I see that he did it out of pure, whole-heart, unconditional love – something that doesn’t come around often. Something that some people wait their entire lives for, and something I wished I wouldn’t have pushed away in the first place. But again, I believe in fate, and hindsight is always 20/20.

I do not believe in being too young to know love. I believe that when you know, you know. My little honeybee and I have known each other for about 7 years now. We met in my freshman year of high school, which would’ve been his junior year. We had gym class together, and he claims that it was love at first sight, all the way back then. We tried to fit together a few times during our years in high school together, but the timing was never right.

Regardless, he was persistent even then – in the way that teenage boys are, which means he messed with me constantly during gym class. I specifically remember two times – once, when he threw a dodgeball directly at my face (he played baseball and was a pitcher, so I guess you can assume how great that felt), and another time, when we were playing ping-pong, and he nailed me directly in the middle of my eyebrows with the ping pong ball. Boys are so fun, aren’t they? (I just felt this little piece of background knowledge was important for the story)

Finally, in the summer of 2015, the timing was finally right. My little honeybee and I got the opportunity to start dating, and here I am, two and a half years later, falling more for him every single day.

Anyways, this is a thank you letter, to the man who never, ever gave up on me.

Thank you, my little honeybee, for never flying too far away. For sticking around, keeping your annoying buzzing right in my ear, and for continuing to try and land on me and get my attention. One day I realized, “Ya know, this little bee might not be too bad after all,” and we decided to be together again.

Thank you, little honeybee, for being ready, but for waiting until I was ready. Thank you for being patient, and pushy, but not too pushy.

Thank you for waiting around for two months when I just kept telling you that I didn’t know what I wanted. Thank you for waiting until I finally realized I knew the answer all along.

Thank you, little honeybee, for being loyal and unwavering. You never got tired of waiting, you never left and tried to find another Queen Bee.

Thank you for treating me like just that – a Queen Bee. All of my friends ask where their honeybee is, or if I can share mine (I obviously told them yes, so if they don’t get married, you’re going to have a whole lot of wives.) Thank you for doing absolutely everything with me – cheerleading practices/competitions, pedicures, shopping trips (oh, the many, many shopping trips you’ve accompanied me on), for carrying all of my bags every time. Thank you for sitting through numerous hair appointments, and for laughing at me when I had that really, really, bad one two years ago. Thank you for watching The Office and Guardians of the Galaxy a million times with me.

Thank you for being my personal photographer, and for taking 1192 pictures before I even like one.

Thank you for the endless belly-laughs.

Thank you for the all adventures we’ve already taken together, and the ones that are still in the future. All of them – no matter how big or how small.

Thank you for always checking my lipstick.

Thank you for giving me another reason to love October way more than I already did.

Thank you for loving me endlessly.

Thank you for being my best friend, when my friends aren’t being so great.

Thank you for being the Ben to my Leslie, the Jim to my Pam, and the Rocket to my Groot.

I like you and I love you, little honeybee.