Sometimes, it is not butterflies that tell you that you are in love, but the pain.
It is the ache in your heart when someone feels distant, the silence that hurts more than words, and the tears you hide because you are afraid of losing someone who means everything to you. Love is not always about the excitement of seeing their name on your phone or the happiness of being around them. Sometimes, it is about the emptiness you feel when they are not there, the overthinking that keeps you awake at night, and the fear of becoming a stranger to someone who once felt like home.
The hardest part of love is that the person who makes you happiest can also become the reason behind your deepest pain. You find yourself caring too much, feeling too deeply, and pretending to be okay when your heart is quietly falling apart.
And perhaps that is how you realize you are truly in love. Not because everything feels beautiful, but because even when it hurts, your heart still chooses them.
But remember, love is not supposed to be pain alone. Real love may have difficult moments, but it should also bring peace, respect, and the comfort of knowing that you are loved, too.
