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Admit it: You never quite got over your crush on Uncle Jesse from Full House. Turns out, he’s been having a hard time letting go of a crush of his own. Last year, actor John Stamos admitted that Lori Loughlin, who played his on-screen wife Becky in the nineties sitcom, was “the one that got away.” So you can imagine how heartbroken we were this week when Lori said their missed connection came down to bad timing, during an interview on Yahoo’s Daily Shot. 

Seriously, how disappointing is that? Now Lori is happily married to fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, but she admits that it was timing that screwed things up with John: “I was married at the time I was doing the show to my first husband—that one didn’t work out,” says Lori during the interview. She adds, “Literally right as I was getting divorced he met Rebecca.” (John and his ex Rebecca Romijn split in 2004.) We can’t help but find it a little devastating that they never worked out, but it’s definitely not uncommon for timing to throw off a would-be couple’s game. 

How to Handle Your Own Bad Timing 
Let’s say that like John and Lori, you and your love interest just can’t stay on the same page. One minute you’re single and he’s seeing someone, the next you’re in a relationship and he’s suddenly solo again. If you’re really a good fit, it might be worth saying something, says Christine Hart, a Toronto-based dating and relationship coach and founder of Your Date Coach. If there’s ever a window when you’re both single—go for it, says Hart. Otherwise, you might end up regretting it like Uncle Jessie.  

MORE: The Ideal Number of Sexual Partners to Have Before Finding The One 

If he’s recently started seeing someone, consider this your last chance to put yourself out there for a while. “I believe there’s no disrespect in saying to him outright, ‘I’m attracted to you [and] I’m enjoying our connection and conversations, but you’ve just started seeing someone, so I’m going to [bow out].’” This way you’re respecting him and his partner—you’re not telling him to call you when he’s single, or saying anything else that would ask him to reconsider his relationship—but you’re also letting him know how you feel. 

MORE: 3 Factors That Predict Whether Or Not You’ll Get Married 

So what happens when he’s seriously coupled up and you’re still sure he’s The One? While you could certainly throw your feelings out there, you risk messing up your bond—and probably getting your heart broken—if you don’t get the response you’re hoping for.  Hart’s advice: “You’ve got to just step away from it.” Sometimes you have to exit gracefully and realize that, despite his flirtations, he’s not going to take action. That way, you can wind down your own flirtation and use it on someone who is more available, says Hart. And hey, who knows what’ll happen in the future—in your love story and John and Lori’s. 

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