In her mind's eye, Debbie saw flashes of her time with Pasco: the excitement of their first connection, the late-night conversations that made her feel alive, the heartbreak of his silence during the pandemic.But then the vision shifted. She saw herself during those moments, desperately clinging to the relationship, pouring all her love into someone who couldn't or wouldn't reciprocate in the way she needed.
"You loved him with everything you had," Filex's voice echoed gently in her mind. "But love isn't just about giving.
It's about receiving, too. What did you get in return?" Debbie felt a pang of sadness. "I got hope," she whispered.
"Hope that he would come back, that he would love me the way I loved him ""And now?" Filex asked.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she answered. "Now, I see that I was holding onto a dream. I loved the idea of who we could be, not who we actually were."
The warmth of Filex's presence wrapped around her like a comforting embrace. "It's okay to love him, Debbie," he said.
"But you have to love yourself more. You deserve a love that lifts you, not one that keeps you waiting in the shadows."