I got used to people loving halfway in, asking for the good parts, then leaving with the rest. You saw how I went quiet when something felt too real. You never made me promise what I was scared to feel. I kept waiting for the moment you would finally have enough. Every time I pulled away, you only pulled me closer. You stayed when I gave you every reason not to. You stayed when I didn’t know how to let you in. I spent years believing love would leave the second it knew my name, but you stayed. You stayed. You know which days to call me and which days I need space. You know that “I’m okay” means I’m trying not to break. You never made a promise too perfect to come true. You just kept showing up until I trusted you. I don’t know when forever stopped sounding like a lie. Maybe somewhere in the way you never left my side. You stayed when I gave you every reason not to. You stayed when I didn’t know how to let you in. I spent years believing love would leave the second it knew my name, but you stayed. You stayed. You didn’t come to save me. You never claimed you could. You just loved me in the places I had labeled “too much.” Now every part I hated has somewhere it can stay. I spent my whole life preparing to be left and you stayed. You stayed when I gave you every reason not to. You stayed when I finally let you see the whole truth. I spent years believing love would leave the second it knew my name, but you stayed. You stayed. through every doubt I put between us. You stayed until I finally started to believe it. I spent years preparing for the day that you would walk away, but you stayed. You stayed. I don’t wait for you to leave now. I know you’re going to stay.
