Goodbye, Love.

Of all the lies, “I love you” was, by far, my favorite. I hung on for so long… wishing, waiting, hoping. Even in the darkest moments, my heart clung to you tightly. Even in the face of an inevitable ending, my heart longed for what might have been. Even with the bitter knowledge of your reality, my heart quietly wished for a vastly different ending to our story.

I grieve the loss of you. Not because you deserve it. Not because I am weak. I grieve the loss of the dreams I foolishly held, the hopes of promises that would never be fulfilled. I grieve the loss of a future I secretly held within my vivid, yet naive imagination.

I loosen my grip, retract the claws that dug in so tightly…. I slowly open up my weary arms, and I release you. Not actually you, but a faint image of the you that was left behind. I watch with an ache deep in my soul as that image slowly fades away…

… and I am free.