“While most relationships are temporary, some are meant to last a lifetime. Our job is to discern which ones will endure and cherish them—not just as much as the fleeting ones, but even more.”
…
— Malisa —
“We met online…” Audrey began, her voice carrying a mix of nostalgia and hesitation.
We sat together in the university canteen, the scent of freshly made pancakes filling the air. It wasn’t even 1 p.m. yet, and I was already starving—something I hadn’t expected.
So, we decided to grab lunch, stealing a few moments together before our next class.
Audrey was studying English, which meant we didn’t share many courses, but I knew that wouldn’t hinder the friendship we were building. In fact, I believed it would last longer than most.
Though we had only recently met, I could already picture myself at her wedding, standing beside her as her best lady. What I hadn’t anticipated, however, was how quickly she would open up to me.
“Crazy, right?” she said with a faint smile.
I almost chuckled—until I remembered that Aiden and I had also started with an online conversation. If not for that, we might never have met, let alone gotten married. But that’s a story for another day, isn’t it?
“He was nice, caring, and compassionate…” She took a sip of her grape juice.
I had naively thought I was the only one obsessed with it—until now.
“Or at least, that’s what I believed.”
I took a slow bite of my pancakes, savoring the burst of blueberry sweetness as I listened.
“We had the best conversations—ones that stretched for hours. It felt like I could never get enough of him. He was just… irresistible.”
I smiled, understanding exactly what she meant. It was how I felt about Aiden.
“I never saw him as flawless, but when I learned about his past, I was shocked.”
“His past?” I asked, watching her take a deep breath before nodding.
“Nothing too surprising, considering he’s a guy and all… but still, it felt strange to know that the man I was falling for had seven exes. And that he had been intimate with all of them.”
“Oh…”
I could only imagine how that must have felt.
Society claimed that both men and women should uphold dignity, yet, somehow, a man’s past was often dismissed. After all, he had no hymen, no physical proof of purity—so he was free to do as he pleased.
But deep down, I had always longed for something different—to be with a man who would be my first, just as I would be his.
A dream as rare as finding a needle in a haystack, right?
And yet, meeting Aiden had proved me completely, utterly wrong.
“But that didn’t stop me from loving him,” Audrey admitted, her voice soft yet firm. “I saw beyond his flaws.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “I even wrote a poem about it.”
Reaching into her handbag, she pulled out a medium-sized journal, flipping through the pages before handing it to me.
“Here.”
I took it carefully, running my fingers over the words with a quiet reverence.
This wasn’t just a poem.
It was a heartcry—a lover’s silent confession.
---
WHEN I SAY, ‘I LOVE YOU’
When I say,
I love you…
I do not say it
For the sake of saying it,
Nor because the words
Feel good on my tongue.
I say it because
I have seen your scars
And called them beautiful.
I have traced the lines
Of your flaws
And found them to be
The very things
That make you human.
I have witnessed your weakness
And seen how it
Makes you relatable—
A soul, not a statue.
I have glimpsed
Your deepest insecurities
And realized they mark
The very places
Where your greatest strengths lie.
I have heard the cadence
Of your laughter,
A melody woven
With echoes of tears,
And I have called it resilience.
I have seen your pain
Beneath the brilliance
Of your smile
And named it
A treasure in the dark.
I have known
Your not-enoughs
And understood
That they make you real,
Not perfect—
But true.
So when I say,
“I love you,”
Do not,
Even for a second,
Think I speak of grand moments,
Fleeting passions,
Or dreams that touch the sky.
Not of flawless beauty
That bears no scars,
Or an ethereal voice
That could make angels weep.
Not of a smile so perfect
It could shake
The heart of a hardened man,
Nor of eyes so deep
They could make love
A certainty at first sight.
Not of mastery,
Or knowledge,
Or skills that bring kings
To their knees.
Not even of a love for the Creator
So boundless
It surpasses understanding.
I love you—
For you.
Not for the illusions.
---
“You must have loved him a lot,” I whispered, still lost in the weight of the words I had just read.
I had come across many beautiful poems in the past few days—thanks to Mary’s influence—but this felt different.
Because the poet was sitting right in front of me.
Because I knew exactly why she had written it.
“I did…”
Her response was simple. Yet, it carried a depth that made my chest tighten.
Before I could ask more, she continued.
“But he never felt the same way.” She let out a small laugh—one that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Why would he? He had been with so many incredible women before me—women who were tall, curvy, creative, beautiful. So why would he fall for me? A… nerd?”
I sipped my juice, my gaze fixed on the woman in front of me—so unaware of the quiet charm and brilliance she carried like an unrecognized crown.
“When I asked him why he kept me around, even though I clearly wasn’t his type, he said it was because I was pure. That I hadn’t been ‘polluted’ by worldly culture and tradition. And that was the kind of person he needed in his life.”
Those words stung—even though I wasn’t the one they were meant for.
I could only imagine how much they must have hurt Audrey.
“Did you ever tell him you loved him?” I asked gently.
“Yes. Mostly through poetry. He’s a poet, too. And, as you know… we poets express ourselves best through our art.”
“Can I see the poem you wrote for him?”
She nodded, reaching for her phone. After a brief search, she handed it over.
As I read, the words tugged at my heartstrings.
There was something achingly beautiful about them.
It had been a long time since I felt so moved by the power of words.
Even though I couldn’t relate to the emotions firsthand, I could feel them.
And somehow, that was enough.
…
A/N: What do you think, guys?