Once I hated her

There is a girl at work named Stephanie.
At one point and time I really loathed her.
She came to work here a couple of years ago.
She was a know-it-all.
She made no qualms about getting in close with the boss.
Kissing her ass.

They went on several business trips together.

At one point and time, Stephanie and I got into it.
I yelled at her and she yelled back.
We didn't really speak unless it was absolutely necessary after that.

Over the holidays, we had to work on the same customer support site.
And we started actually getting along.
She has a teen daughter and so do I.

She has talked openly about being gay.
Last week, she and I were talking about the Twilight series.
She just started reading the books.
She commented that she wished she could have a love like Edward and Bella and how she gets lonely.
I told her that everybody should have that.
She told me about her first relationship with a woman, up until then, she had only dated men.
And she told me how this woman broke her heart.

I felt really sad for her.
I know what it is like to be heartbroken. Been there, done that.
I told her my sister in law is gay and at first how nobody believed it.
But it really didn't matter to me. I think my Mother In Law really had a difficult time.
Stephanie told me her own mother was in denial and asked when she would get out of that phase.

I hope she finds someone, we do all deserve to be loved.