Love costs—time, energy, effort.

I have spent years trying to figure out what love really is.

It’s something people often get wrong. Most of the time, we confuse lust with love—companionship, happiness, comfort, or even convenience. Every feeling that feeds our satisfaction is often mistaken for love.

I grew up witnessing love. The love I saw between my parents was something I thought would last forever—but it ended anyway. And in that moment, I lost hope in love. As a kid, I thought to myself: If the love I used to see between my married parents ended after more than two decades, what are the odds for me and the person I’ll talk to in the future?

Eventually, that future came.
He came.
And he changed something in me.

I was flabbergasted. A person I had only known for months managed to shift my entire perception of love.

I know I’m vulnerable at times. I cry easily. I sympathize a lot. I have a weak heart—but a strong mind. I don't get influenced easily. Never in my life has my perception changed in a snap… but he did it. He worked on me and turned my thoughts upside down.

And I realized why:
He gives time.
He pours in energy.
He shows effort.

But it would be dishonest of me not to admit that sometimes, the love he says he have for me hurts. And those hurts leave scars—scars that make me question what kind of love he truly had for me.
or is it really love?
Or he's also just another person who got love confused with something else?

I awfully want to ask him:
What are your true intentions toward me?
Do you love me—or do you only love me on the days I make you feel seen, heard, noticed, and served? Because when I need understanding the most, you pull away.

Being clear with one’s emotions and intentions is power.
Knowing what you want and who you are—that’s strength.
And I know he's strong.
I know he’ll speak his truth.