When Anthony and I met it was by chance. I had gone into a chat room and I never usually went into them. My "home" was "ICQ" chat and I had said in the chat room that I was a stranger to Yahoo. Well out popped Anthony saying, "I have ICQ. I just put it on today." The number for it came in a private message to me.

We talked for quite awhile that night. I have always said it was destiny because we hit it of so well. The next day I received a card from him, and to be honest, that is when i started to fall for Anthony. He was so sweet. He has always made me feel special. We chatted the next night... then the next... then I was hooked. I should say we were hooked. I couldn't get enough of this guy, this man from out of nowhere. The words seem to flow from me. I had a few bad relationships in real time and I thought I had "loved" them but the feeling that I had now was beyond that. I had to have this man i my life, no matter what. I am a rational person, but suddenly everything in my life revolved around Anthony. I woke up thinking of him, he was always on my mind, and I couldn't understand where the emotions were coming from.

A month went by and I was so much in love with Anthony. I couldn't believe it. I seemed to be unraveling my thoughts before him. It was so easy. We would message for hours. I couldn't wait to talk to him everyday. We talked in the morning, in the evening, and whenever we had a chance. It was like an addiction. I kepted on thinking that it would go away.

It was a strange feeling to care so much about someone that I had never met in "real time", so we started to plan a meeting. We decided that if we were still meeting in chat after three months then we would meet real time. A meeting had to take place, one way ot the other... I simply had to meet this man, my new love of my life. I had to find out if it was the "net" or if I'd fallen in love.

I went on a two week holiday and when I came home I'd lost everything on the computer... including Anthony. I rushed over to a friends house and had my chat with him (he was on her list) but while I was gone something had happened. His desperation had changed. He started to say that he had to get control of the feelings and that "we" had to be mature about this relationship. We started at that point "to mature." We both knew a meeting had to take place. When August came we planned for our meeting. It would be in september, the long weekend. I was going to bring a friend. Not to much planning went into it, other than Anthony would drive to Calgary, Alberta and I would fly to Calgary when the date was closer.

My friend couldn't get away and it looked like we would have to postpone meeting until a later date. In a chat one afternoon Anthony said to me, "Why don't you just book your flight. Everything will be fine... just you and me." So I did. I messaged him back that my flight and the meeting was on. We were both excited. Finally we were going to meet. I have fallen so hard for this stranger and I was going to meet him.

The day came that he would leave, then I would leave the next day. It was a short flight for me and I thought I would be so nervous but I was actually fine. All I had was an old photo that he had sent me with the many letters that were sent. I had asked if he had changed and he said, "Not much." So with an image of a young 20 year old, I set out to meet my "net love." The flight was short but the time was very long. I arrived in Calgary right on time. I went to get my bags and there were three men standing there. I had told Anthony that I would recognize him by his incredible smile. I went to freshen up and when I came out there was that smile!! I went over to him and said, "Anthony?" He replied, "Karen?" We were finally face to face. We gently embraced and smiled... a lot of smiling. We had shared so much and now we were together. We had been talking for months but the distance between us was enormous. We were meeting again for the fist time.

The words flowed much easier onto the screen. I was so quiet. The words have always been from my heart, but this was hard to understand. We had three days to fit what would have to last a while. I didn't see the fireworks but I met with a great friend. For three days we went out to dinner and looked back at the things that I had sent and some of the chats we have had. We talked about our short history. The weekend went great. We had created a foundation that we could grow on, mature with.

We said goodbye at the airport. I knew it would be a long time, if ever, that I would see him again, but I knew that I wanted him in my life. I got home the same day and he arrived the next day. When he got home he emailed me to say he arrived safely, but the next email was the surprise. Anthony had said that he had fallen out of love with me, was not sure when it had happened, but the meeting had to have taken place. I was so crushed. My first instinct was to hurt him with words.

The next two days I sent email that was hurtful. I couldn't see beyond the hurt I was feeling. All I could think about was losing my "friend." I wanted him in my life, just to be part of it, so we planned a "net meeting." When he explained that he had fallen out of the love, the addicted love, I tried to understand. For weeks he enforced the friendship part of our relationship. I still "love" him and he still "loves" me... evering lasting love. Who knows? Everlasting friendship? I hope so. We can't see the future. We still chat almost every night. He has introduced me to some of his chat friends and I have introduced him to my family and friends via ICQ. I am not sure he will be in my life forever but I will always have him in my heart and we will always have the summer of '99.