Nana Jensen deeply understood this, had Willy Smith been a bit braver back then and she a bit less foolish, their love would have been even more perfect!
Rather than having a perfect love, she wished Willy Smith had suffered fewer years of unrequited love—a stark difference from her secret fondness for Roy Thompson, which was rooted in admiration from the start and different from hidden love. His was filled with hope, yet he was lost, not knowing where that hope lay.
She couldn't imagine what it felt like for Willy Smith, who had loved her wholeheartedly, when he discovered her diary and learned of her feelings for Roy Thompson.
That kind of torment, she assumed, could only be understood by someone who had experienced it, so when he confessed to her last night, she didn't feel the slightest bit angry—instead, she felt a profound sympathy for him, realizing some hurts are best left unknown.