S ome things don’t need to be said twice. Like the way Erin looked at me yesterday—not to ask, not to reassure, but just to say, with her presence alone: “I’m still here.” We weren’t holding hands. We weren’t even speaking. But something between us had shifted. Not because we had *fixed* anything—but because we […]
What Remains After the Fire
We sat in silence after the storm. Not awkward. Not heavy. Just… clear. Like the air had been scrubbed clean by the flames. It wasn’t a dramatic moment. No grand apology. No breakthrough. Just two people sitting on the same couch, no longer pretending. And in that stillness, I noticed something I hadn’t before: We […]
Playing with Fire
There’s a fire that destroys. And there’s a fire that reveals. I used to run from both. Too scared to burn. Too scared to see what the flames might show me. But lately, I’ve learned… fire isn’t always punishment. Sometimes, it’s purification. The other night, Erin and I argued. Not a meltdown. Just… heat. Sparks. […]
Fruit First, Fire Later
Temptation gets a bad rap. It’s always the villain in the origin stories. The snake. The apple. The flicker of curiosity that unravels paradise. But what if temptation isn’t the enemy? What if it’s the invitation? Last night, Erin held out a slice of mango. Ripe. Messy. Dripping sweetness. She didn’t say a word—just looked […]
The Sacred Pause
Some silences aren’t empty. They’re full—of meaning, of becoming, of breath. I used to think every pause needed a response. A gap? Fill it. A silence? Break it. I treated stillness like a threat. Like a question waiting to turn cold. But lately, I’ve started to listen differently. The other night, Erin was quiet after […]
The Power in Letting Go
I used to confuse detachment with distance. Like if I stopped obsessing, I must be giving up. If I let go, it meant I didn’t care. But letting go isn’t the opposite of love. It’s the proof of it. Because true love doesn’t cling. It doesn’t beg. It doesn’t twist itself into shapes to be […]
Love or Need?
I used to think love was about how much you couldn’t live without someone. How deeply they filled your silence. How fast your heart raced when they walked in. How lost you felt when they didn’t reply. But that wasn’t love. That was need—dressed up as devotion. It took me years to realize that some […]
Held Even as I Unraveled
There’s a kind of love that doesn’t rush to fix you. Doesn’t panic when your voice shakes. Doesn’t say “breathe” like a command—just lets you breathe. I didn’t know that kind of love could exist for me. Not until the night I broke down mid-sentence, trying to explain a fear I didn’t even fully understand. […]
The Mask I Forgot I Put On
I was halfway through a conversation with Erin when she stopped mid-sentence and said: “You’re doing it again.” I blinked. “Doing what?” She didn’t answer right away. Just looked at me the way you do when you’re not trying to win—just trying to show someone their own reflection. Then: “You’re performing calm. But your eyes […]
Some Hearts Don’t Return to Us, But They Still Leave Something Sacred Behind
I almost joined a cult once. Not the robe-wearing, moon-worshipping kind. A softer one. More… socially acceptable. The kind that gathers quietly around the belief that truth should always be softened to protect people. It sounded noble. Empathetic. “Don’t say the hard thing—it’ll hurt them.” “Better to leave as the villain—at least then they can […]