In a few days, she will be turning eighteen that she thought of asking for a special gift this time around. She started with her prayer intention circling around the safety of her loved ones followed by her vision for the future right before she paused to ask for her birthday wish. For someone who has gone through a lot at a very young age, she developed a close relationship with the Lord. That night she asked for a soul mate. It was an innocent wish coming from a teenager who is excited to turn a new leaf on her way to becoming a woman. Someone who has long bottled up her emotions surely deserves another soul to make the journey more bearable. Be that as it may, she is happy with the status quo considering the wealth of opportunities laid down before her. One day, she heard from her mentor. It was not like those times when she had to confine herself in the library for weeks to prepare for an intellectual drill. She was slated to join a summer youth camp, which at first sounded like her typical summer Girl Scouts escapade. Having earned a few badges in her sash, she had her fair share of camping experience out in the wilderness. These activities paved the way to meeting new friends outside her immediate community. And for this reason alone, she will not pass up on the opportunity. It was one hot summer day. She arrived a few minutes before the event started. She sat next to a friendly face wiping the sweat off his head with a neatly-folded handkerchief. She smiled and he smiled back. Then she realized the other seat next to her is no longer empty. Yes, she found herself sitting between two nice strangers. As in any regular session, they will have to get to know each other. They exchanged names and talked about something they share in common. Aside from being achievers, they are also into the mundane pleasures of life. There was this teenage flick that they spend at least an hour watching after school. It was not common for a group of campers to ask for a television set but they just did so as not to miss an episode. After the show, she found herself bonding with a girl she met along with the two boys seated close to her. They found themselves in a park one night under the stars. Of course, they would exchange childhood stories mostly about school. All throughout the sessions, she would realize that this summer camp is a lot different than the rest. While she was flattered, she would wonder why he would always find an extra hand helping her around. She was not used to being taken care of. It was a sweet friendly gesture that she appreciated than the flirtateous attempt of some other boys lurking around. She hated the idea of being pursued in public as if a girl is a chattel up for grabs. With the gift of new friends, she believed that her wish was granted. Like those friends she met during camping, it was not surprising that letters came soon. But not like any of those friends, she received one from a diligent boy. It was the first letter she received from the opposite sex. The gesture was sweet but she would find herself smiling after reading every letter. He has always been funny. It all started with the exchange of letters. They would rarely see each other. As teenagers from different towns, they were not bold enough to visit each other from time to time. This is why the letters made all the difference.