I gathered the courage to tell my former mentor of having deep feelings towards him. I told him exactly how much he means to me, how he makes me want to be a better person, the way I view him, and that I wish to share my life with him. I could see the turbulent emotions within him as he gave me the neutral response of “I don’t know”, and implied that I might change my mind in the future. Given our age gap of about 20 years, he told me that he wants me to see more of the world before making such a claim. If anything, this response confirmed my good opinion and respect towards his character. I will give him space, but am going to remain true to him. I have already found my soul mate, so why should I look for one anymore? I love him so much, perhaps with the exuberance of youth, but also the wisdom of one who has known and learnt from hurt and pain.