The shift
The end of February brought our first major rupture. I don’t remember every detail of what triggered it, but I remember how I felt. I was struggling. I felt insecure, like I wasn’t good enough. I didn’t feel valued or fully seen in the relationship, and instead of recognizing that something in the dynamic itself was contributing to those feelings, I expected my partner to fix them for me. I wanted him to make me feel like I mattered, like I belonged, like I was important to him. In hindsight, that wasn’t his responsibility—but it was a signal that something wasn’t right. Rather than having the hard conversations we needed to have, he shut down. Without warning, without discussion, without explanation, he ended the relationship. It blindsided me. I am deeply loyal by nature. I don’t give up easily, and I had believed he felt the same way. So I fought for him. I tried to ask questions. I tried to talk through what had happened. Looking back now, I know I should have let the relationship...