strange in-between

i think i knew, even then, that i was never meant to stay. still, i tried to be kind with it. i laid out the choices, i spoke softly but honestly about what i wanted, and i loved the only way i knew how. but there are things that never sit in your hands, no matter how gently you hold them.

when someone meets you in the middle of your quiet breaking and chooses to hold you, you don’t always question it. sometimes you let them. not because you’re weak, but because there is a kind of freedom in being seen without having to explain yourself.

i’m learning that love doesn’t ask you to fold yourself small or live in the shadows. i don’t think i was made to be someone’s secret. there is a difference between keeping something sacred and being kept out of sight, and i’m finally understanding which side i belong on.