Luc and Shelley's Story - Internet Love Stories

Sarah and Greg:
After having received a new computer for Christmas I logged onto a Christian dating service. A friend of mine had dared me to, and since I can't say no to a dare...
>> Continued

She's From: United States
He's From: Canada

Luc and I met in May of 1999 online on a MUD (Multi user domain/dimension) that we were both working on.

Funny thing is, at that time we couldn't STAND each other, I thought he was a jerk and he thought the same of me!

Somewhere around September of 1999 I decided to quit that mud and start my own, and of course considering I am not a programmer by a LONG shot I managed to screw it up so I had to.. swallow my pride and ask the "jerk" for help. That night we talked long into the night, and amazingly enough we had a lot in common! We continued talking for a few weeks, and became very good friends. Truthfully, I thought he was a nice guy, but I had no romantic feelings towards him, I thought he was too young. (I'm 23, he's soon to be 21). Maybe that doesn't seem like much of a difference, but lets be frank here, I'd been around I'd done my partying..and he was a complete innocent.

One night he came to me with the bombshell that he was afraid he was falling in love with me. To say I was shocked was an understatement. I grew flustered at his revelation and changed the subject. Over the next few months, we continued to talk daily, hourly, minutely (?!) *LOL*, and I found myself having feelings for him. I did not want to give into them. I wasn't afraid of getting hurt, I was afraid of ME hurting him. He kept bringing up meeting, and I kept putting it off. At the time, I was going to school in Washington State (I'm originally a California GrRrl). Luc decided at this point he was going to make it happen, so he moved from Ontario over to British Columbia, and registered at the University there, JUST on the off chance he'd get to meet me. Yes, persistence was his middle name! *LOL*

Well, I finally consented to meeting him. He came over on the ferry, and met me down at the docks, we were in a very very public place, so I felt secure. Just one look at him and I knew that we were going to click. I just KNEW! So, I picked him up, and we drove around talking, and me cracking jokes. I am not a shy person, but I think he was really shy at first. We met on May 5th, 2000, he stayed for 4 days, and we had a blast. A week later I drove up to Vancouver to go spend the weekend with him.

When the weekend was over, I drove back.. However, about 30 miles after I crossed the US border back into Washington, my clutch went out in my car!!! A girl stopped and picked me up took me to a phone where I called Luc. Without a moments hesitation he said "I"m on my way".. so the girl took me back to my car, and I waited.. along the side of the Highway.. And ladies and gentlemen, this is how I knew for sure he was the man for me..

He didn't have a car.. He WALKED from Vancouver down to where I was broke down.. JUST to come help me.. He WALKED.. the highway in the dead of night..

After he came to collect me, we stayed in a hotel, and got my car towed.. and I took the ferry back to P.A and he went home. We continued emailing and chatting and then.. the real world invaded our bubble.. Luc couldn't find a job in Vancouver.. I ran out of money at school.. Had to fix my car.. got kicked out of the dorm.. cuz I couldn't pay.. We ended up camping for 3 days while my car was being fixed. So we faced some important decisions.. In the end we decided to pack up my car and return together to his home town.. Wow, was it ever a journey.. Beautiful but a long ride!

The next step was meeting his parents, because we were to stay with them over the summer.. What an experience.. I didn't feel welcome, they were pretty rude to both of us, we weren't allowed to hug or anything around them. It was terrible.. Luc turned very distant during that time, and I just couldn't connect to him. He was torn between wanting to stick by my side, and doing what his parents wanted..

Well.. Eventually we moved to Ottawa at the end of that summer, so Luc could go back to school... We had a HELL of a time finding an apartment.. Ended up camping AGAIN.. waiting for the annoyingly slow student loan to come through.. Finally found a place in a rooming house.. It was so horrible. We felt like we had hit the ultimate low..

Yet, we kept on trying, and eventually found a great apartment, and are building up from our roots. We still have problems with his parents, they make me cry sometimes.. They say mean things about me.. but honestly all I want from this life is Luc.. He is my everything.. I love you baby.

"Shelley"