Stephanie's Story

By Molly Monroe 

I met Stephanie behind the concierge desk in the hotel lobby of the Hampton Inn and Suites in downtown Tulsa. She was helping a customer when I approached the counter and asked for an interview. She smiled and obliged, engaging me with friendly small talk until I asked a somewhat unusual question. Her kind demeanor guised the newfound apprehension in her tone. Something inside of her changed with just the thought of it. 

“Have you ever been in love?” I asked.

“I thought I was,” she said curtly, with a blunt sort of politeness. “I thought I found my person when I was a senior in high school. We dated for five years.”

Stephanie told me that she was living in Minnesota when her and her boyfriend decided to move to Tulsa. They initially hoped the move would be a positive, life-changing experience for the both of them to share together. At first, it was—the move was an exciting adventure, but after the realities of life’s normalcies set in, “it just didn’t feel like love anymore,” she said. “He moved back.”

Although they have broken up, Stephanie remains optimistic towards their lasting bond. “I still think that he is my person,” she sighed, her tone relaxing at the memory, “but I think it was the wrong time.”

Moving on from their breakup was difficult for her. “For awhile it was [too painful to talk to him],” she said. Stephanie is patient, however, and cherishes their friendship despite their past. “We broke up and he moved away on Christmas Eve last year. We didn’t talk until March, but now we talk everyday.” 

Since breaking up, Stephanie finds it easier to express herself to her ex. “That was a big problem with our relationship,” she says. Now that they are apart, they each have the freedom to live their own lives without the pressure of a relationship. Yet, the love in Stephanie’s heart will always beat strong.