I Discovered a 1991 Letter from My First Love in the Attic — What Happened After I Looked Her Up Online Was Unbelievable

My name is Mark. I’m 59 now. And when I was in my twenties, I lost the woman I thought I would grow old with. Not because the love faded. Not because of betrayal or some dramatic fight that burned everything to ash.

Life just became loud, complicated, and unexpected in ways we couldn’t have anticipated back when we were college students, making promises under the bleachers and dreaming about our future together.

The Beginning: Meeting Sue
Susan—Sue to everyone who knew her—was the kind of person who had a quiet strength that made others trust her immediately. She didn’t dominate a room.

She anchored it. When she listened, truly listened, you felt seen, understood, and safe. There was a calmness to her presence that made the chaos of college life feel manageable.