“Sometimes, the path to true freedom, happiness, and peace begins with letting go.”
---
— Malisa —
WAYS I LOVE YOU
I love your mind—
the way you see the world,
how you hold space between
light and shadow,
never tilting too far into either.
I love your steadiness,
how you stand firm amid the tides
of emotions that aren’t your own,
rooted in the quiet strength
of a mind that belongs wholly to you.
I love your resilience—
how pain, grief, and heartbreak
may have tested you,
but never unmade you.
I love the way you love—
soft and certain,
never demanding perfection,
never making love feel like a cage.
I love the sound of your voice,
the echo of your laughter,
the warmth they carry,
like a familiar melody.
I love your hunger for knowledge,
your restless pursuit of skill,
each new achievement
adding to the masterpiece of you.
I love how you refuse
to settle for less than the sky,
how mediocrity has never
been an option in your world.
I love your respect—
the way you see people,
not for where they come from,
but for who they are.
I love your unwavering belief in yourself,
even when it borders on pride,
because confidence like yours
inspires others to stand tall.
I love your love for life—
your desire to leave it richer,
better, brighter than you found it.
I love the imprint you wish to leave,
your determination to carve
your name into the soil of this earth,
“Because why not?” you’d said.
I love your presence,
even in absence—
the comfort of knowing
you’re just a call away.
I love how you speak of creation,
your reverence for the Creator,
the beauty in your awe.
And truly,
it’s all beautiful.
---
“He’d probably never been loved with so much reverence and sincerity before…”
I mused over the words, their weight settling into my mind long after I finished reading. They lingered, like an echo that refused to fade.
“I wouldn’t say that,” she countered, tilting her head thoughtfully. “He had seven exes, all of whom he loved deeply. And I believe they felt the same for him.”
“If they were so perfect, why did he leave?” I asked, watching her pause. The question had caught her off guard—proof of how quickly we jump to conclusions without knowing the full story.
“He said there were some flaws he couldn’t put up with, so he walked away.”
“Do you think that’s all there is to it?”
“What else could there be?”
I smiled at her words.
“He cared about me, yeah… but I had to leave. Our relationship was becoming toxic.”
“Why?” I glanced at my pink wristwatch—Mary’s birthday gift to me—and sighed in relief. Thirty minutes left before my next class.
“He saw me as a friend, while I saw him as someone I wanted to be with. The pain of unrequited love was killing me. I had to leave, even if it broke me.”
“So you moved here?” I asked, piecing together my own conclusions.
“Yeah. It wasn’t necessary—we’d never met physically—but I needed a change of scenery, some distance. I feel so far away from him now. We aren’t even breathing the same American air anymore. Funny how rejection can make something as simple as air feel toxic.”
I placed my empty glass of grape juice on the table, uncrossing my legs. “But… he never told you he didn’t love you, did he?”
“He didn’t. But he never said he loved me either.”
“Toxic, indeed.”
“Yeah...”
And then she said something that made me pause.
“That’s probably my destiny.”
I stared at her, stunned. Who accepts something as tragic as that as their destiny?
“What do you mean?” I kept my voice low, careful not to startle her.
“I lost my childhood best friend to leukemia at sixteen. I went through a breakup with my male best friend at seventeen. My parents divorced when I was eighteen. And now, at nineteen? I’m dealing with heartbreak again. If it’s not destiny, then what is it?”
“A coincidence?” I offered, though even I wasn’t sure of my own words.
“Nah. Twice is a coincidence. Thrice is a pattern.”
“And now?”
“Just… going through the motions, I guess.”
Her voice carried so much weight that I wanted to reach out and hug her. But I held myself back.
“The dots will connect eventually, Rey.”
“Will they?”
I nodded. For the first time in this conversation, I was sure of something. Maybe it was my relationship with Aiden that gave me this clarity. If not for my family background and the circumstances of my life, I wouldn’t have met him.
And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: life isn’t a race for the swift, but for those who are chosen—by one word.
Mercy.
“Then I guess I’ll just watch and see the dots connect,” she murmured.
I reached out, taking her free hand in mine, squeezing gently—offering the warmth I knew she needed.
“Yeah… same.”
We chuckled softly.
How beautiful.
I just hope she doesn’t start seeing me as a rebound best friend.
---
A/N: What do you think, guys?