Bill wrote this letter to Mary:

We’ve talked on the phone and in my apartment, and now I'm writing this letter. Maybe if I put my thoughts and feelings in writing, you’ll understand them better.

I love you. I want to marry you. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. You are the most wonderful woman I have ever met. You are not a "load²." You are not a "troublemaker³."

Yes, you have problems. So do I. And together, we can solve these problems more easily than if we were apart¹. Problems are a part of life. But so is happiness⁴. Let’s share our problems and happiness instead of experiencing them alone.

We are not a bad "fit." We are a perfect match. I do not look down on you. I look up to you. I admire you. I think you are smart, brave, and independent⁵. Don’t tell me to go find another woman. I don’t want another woman. I have found the perfect woman.

Every day, I think about your beautiful smile, your happy laugh. I think about the long walks we used⁶ to take, holding hands all the way. Remember how we used to sit on the grass in the park and watch the parrots?

We were going to get married⁷, and now you want to be "just friends." Whatever I did or said that was wrong, please tell me so we can work this out. I don’t want to lose you.