Yeah, I think us codies do this. We in our minds make the A into all sorts of things that they aren't.
I did this with AH. In my mind he was a misunderstood, sensitive, delicate soul who just needed the right relationship to help him turn into the man he was always meant. I could go on with heaps I imagined him to be.
Absolute load of b/s!!
Reality being he was an alkie, I was a codie and both of us doing what alkies and codies do! Creating a trainwreck!