What do you do when you've lost everything you once knew and loved and your life falls apart like a broken puzzle? What I do is run on an island in the deepest regions of my brain where I am invisible to the rest of the world. What have I lost? You might say I lost my heart, or maybe I just forgot where I put it. It all started last spring, right after my birthday, April 3rd. What happened? You might ask. It was the end of something magical; Well, at least I thought it was. I sat on the edge of my bed in my brownstone apartment in Baltimore, Maryland, with the box in my hand. “How will I propose?” I thought to myself as I stared at my grandmother's diamond engagement ring. This whole wedding thing was going to my head. I wanted the proposal to be as special as she imagined it. I was hesitant about marriage, but Janine had been waiting for me to pop the question for a long time and I wanted to be romantic about it. I wanted Janine to remember this for the rest of our lives together. Marriage was always a strong thought for me in the past, but when I realized that I was with the person I loved, the thought made me happy. After six years of relationship and fifteen months of living together, it was time for us to get married, I guess. Two years ago he brought up the topic of marriage to me and told me he didn't want to wait any longer and didn't want to be in his forties when he had kids. I told her I needed time because I wasn't ready yet, so I suggested the idea of ​​moving. She had been waiting for me to be ready ever since, I just hoped she hadn't given up. We both met in college when we were eighteen and ended up dating a year later. I remember the exact moment; I came late to my work... middle of paper... I called her, she was forcing me to marry her; it just wasn't right.* * *Two weeks have passed and last night I went on my second date with Anna. I'm really starting to like it. I met her through a colleague. She's wonderful and I think we hit it off. I took her to this Italian restaurant in the inner harbor overlooking the water. It was a pleasant beginning to a noble friendship. I decided to take it slow and not get too serious at first. There were no agendas or special plans for the future. I never thought that this person was mine, even though I adored him with great passion. I appreciated what had just begun. For the first time in my romantic life, especially after Janine ended, fear and apprehension didn't rule my life. I almost didn't recognize myself. The pieces of life I once loved and enjoyed were finally starting to fall into place.