I thought I was protecting her. Protecting both of us. I told myself that if I pulled away, she'd be free from the weight of my chaos, my insecurities, my fears. I thought I was doing the right thing.
But I wasn't. I was running.
Ahce didn't leave because she stopped loving me. She left because she couldn't keep pouring herself into someone who refused to open his hands and hold her love properly. She gave everything, her time, her patience, her heart, and I gave her nothing but walls in return.
When she finally walked away, she didn't look angry. She looked... tired.
That was the moment I realized just how much she had given up for me, the late nights waiting for my calls, the way she set her own dreams aside just to help me chase mine, the countless times she forgave me even when I didn't deserve it.
It took losing her to understand the weight of her sacrifices.
