Day 13 of #PrideLibrary19: A Love Letter to Nick and Charlie

Heartstopper is probably (definitely!) the book I’ve recommended the most. I’ve hosted a few giveaways for it, gifted a copy to my sister, gifted a copy to some of my friends, and just told so many people to read it. And there’s a reason for that, beyond just my enjoyment of the book.

Because yes, I have a lot of fun reading Heartstopper. But it’s more than that. And since today’s prompt of #PrideLibrary19 is ‘Favourite couple’, I thought I’d get into why exactly I love Nick and Charlie (and Heartstopper as a whole) so much.

Content warning: this letter does contain mentions of depression.

Dear Nick, dear Charlie,

Thank you.

Thank you for giving me a comforting space to exist in when my depression was at its worst. On days when the weight of depression felt like it would drown me, you were there to help me feel a little lighter and help me see a tiny glimpse of happiness. You’ve given me a safe space I know will always be there to comfort me when I’m down, so thank you.

Thank you for showing me that it’s okay to question your sexuality, even if you’ve previously assumed things about yourself that end up being not quite true. You were there when I started being unsure about my own identity. You were there when I felt bad about that because I believed I should have figured it all out at least a decade earlier. And you were there when I started coming to terms with being queer and making sense of my identity.

Thank you for showing me supportive relationships, where you communicate openly and where you accept each other. Where yes, you have fun together, but you also support each other no matter what. Thank you for showing me that having mental illness doesn’t mean your relationships are automatically toxic. That it doesn’t mean you’re a burden to the people around you. That you can have a mental illness and still be loved by your friends and family. You’ve taught me I deserve to love myself, and I deserve to be loved, so thank you.

Thank you so much, for everything.

I wish I could be your big sister, although I suppose Tori does a pretty great job.

Love always,

Anniek

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