UNEXPECTEDLY YOURS

THE HONEYMOON PHASE.

One evening, I went to see him in his room. He asked me to stay over till the next day, so I did. That night, we gisted a lot, listened to music, and eventually fell asleep. I couldn't sleep at first—it was my first time sleeping anywhere other than my room—so I stayed up till around 3:00 a.m. Eventually, I drifted off. By 6:00 a.m., I woke up and quietly went back to my room.

We started seeing each other regularly—not every day, but often enough. Sometimes he came to my room, other times I’d go to his. In that moment, I felt so blessed. I never imagined I’d be in an actual relationship with someone I truly liked. All I had known before were situationships—messy, unclear, full of confusion and unnecessary pain. But being with Forty made me realize how beautiful it felt to have your own person. To know exactly where you both stood.

Whenever I was with him, it felt like nothing else mattered. Like time paused just for us. We'd sit, talk, and vibe together for hours, completely unaware of how much time had passed. He was my peace.

Forty was incredibly sweet. He sent me the cutest notes that meant a lot. I remember when he had to travel home from school—he was gone for a while. It was officially long-distance for us, at least for that period. We talked on the phone a lot, and I missed him terribly.

One night, I got up at midnight to use the toilet. A message from him popped up on my phone. I opened it and smiled so hard—it was one of the sweetest things anyone had ever written to me. He said:

> “In this moment right now, I love you. I know you’ll smile after reading this, but making you smile is something I look forward to doing most of the day. I don’t know if it’ll give you butterflies—I'm just typing from my heart—but you’re beautiful when you smile, laugh… even when you’re shy. It makes me smile. Everything you do is beautiful—your mannerisms.

And the next time I see you? I’ll probably hug you so tight, like I’m scared letting you go means I’ll lose you. I can’t remember the last time I was home and was eager to get back to school. It wasn’t always like this—home used to be my escape from school. But now… there’s nothing to escape from when you’re there. That’s how soft I’m becoming.

I love you, Dee. I’m living in the moment of this feeling.”

I melted. That text had me smiling for hours. Being with Forty felt right. I was happy, I was fulfilled, and I felt seen.

When he finally returned to school, I was beyond happy. Being with him again felt like home. We were both introverts, so we didn’t mind staying indoors. It was actually a plus—we loved just being in each other’s space.

One evening while we were together, he sneaked in a few neck kisses and whispered that he loved me. I freaked out a little. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to say it back. I cared deeply for him, yes—but love? I wasn’t sure if I had reached that point yet.

He smiled and told me,

> “Dee, you don’t need to freak out. You can tell me whenever you’re comfortable.”

That made me feel safe. Being around him was safe.

We even had our own song—“Dandelions” by Ruth B. The first time we danced to it, it felt like we were the only ones on the dance floor at prom, under a soft spotlight. It was just us. I knew then—I was in love with him.

We made goofy videos, stayed up all night playing games, laughing, talking about everything and nothing, we would also take strolls in the evening holding hands. And when we weren’t together, we texted nonstop. One day, he sent another message that made my heart skip:

> “I’m sleeping facing the side of the bed you always sleep on when you’re here, and I can smell you. It’s sweet—I like it. I’m smiling thinking about how my nose registers your scent with good memories and the happy parts of my brain. I want it to last. Just you. Because no one else makes me feel this way.

I’ll keep growing, becoming better every day—for myself, and for you. It’s not easy, but you’re worth it. That’s the truth I’ll remind myself of daily. I’m smiling writing this, because these are my emotions in words. And I think I did a pretty good job explaining how I feel.

Thank you, Dee.”

I smiled so hard reading that one too. I couldn’t hold it in anymore—I finally told him I loved him too.

One random day, he said, “Marry me.”

I laughed it off, but deep down? I knew he was the one. I truly believed we’d end up together someday. I just wanted us to take things one step at a time. I never imagined a life without him. I didn’t want a life without him.

The relationship was perfect.

No fights. No arguments. Just peace...

Until it wasn’t.