The Future of Dating: Navigating Love in 2024
With the development of technology and the internet, virtual dating has grown in popularity in [...]
Our goodbye was bittersweet. I was flying out the next day and would not be there when he officially left the state. He spent one last night with me at my new place, one last night of going out to dinner, coming home to watch a movie on the couch, cuddling, hanging out with our little family, and then hitting the bed to snooze the night away.
The next day we went back to our old place and the time was ticking down. I had to drive to the airport in the next major city, not the one closest to our home. I stood in our apartment and my emotions washed over me. My eyes swelled with tears and everything was setting in. We embraced each other in a hug and he began to cry. I did my best to gather myself so I could be the stronger one for the two of us. My time was up, it was time to go so I could catch my flight. He told me he would walk me down to my car and that is when I broke down again. One last hug, one last kiss, one last look at my love. I got in my car and started to drive away but I quickly stopped and rolled down my window. I told him “I love you” and he replied back “Love you too.” That was it, our last words showing our true emotions and how we felt after four long years.
I drove away, lost in emotion and crying uncontrollably.
Fast forward to me driving to the next major city, seeing friends, getting on a flight, and flying hundreds of miles away. I was absolutely torn apart inside from my rushed goodbye and it was my own fault for not having taken the time to do it better. My emotions were out of control and I had idea how to manage the anxiety and depression setting in. What hurt even worse is knowing he was alone and struggling alone just as I was. My anxiety amplified as did my emotions. My entire trip was split between my friends and him, not focusing on my own mental stability. It was eye opening to see how little I focused on my own mental health and how I could focus on others. He and I were in constant communication and we expressed our feelings repeatedly. It was reassuring and provided comfort.
The day before I was set to arrive home he went to check in on my place. His emotions took him to a new low and he was crying in my bathroom. I called him to reassure him that everything would be okay. He made a promise to me that he would stop back in town on his way across the country. I could breathe again, knowing I would get to see him again.
I flew home and settled in at home, knowing that the next day he would be passing through town and I would get to see him again. He arrived at my place and stepped out of his car. My heart fluttered. We made plans to spend the rest of the day together and to go out with a proper goodbye. We grabbed lunch at a favorite spot of ours, he ran an errand with me, we took a quick nap at home together, sat out at the pool, went to dinner at another favorite eatery, and ended the night by going to see a movie in theaters. A perfect ending to celebrate us. He spent the night and we finally got to be close together. The alarms went off the next morning but we snoozed them just so we could be close together for a few more minutes.
Tears were easier to hold back, we got to say goodbye the right way and at our own pace. The icing on the cake is we first met each other by going to see a movie and we ended it all by seeing a movie.
He finished packing his car again, we gave each other a hug and a kiss. My favorite person in this entire world was about to drive across the country to his new life. He looked me in the eyes and said “I love you.”