One Year, Two Months, Forever

A Choice, A Beginning

The day I chose him was the day everything changed.

It had only been a day since Donovan told me he loved me—his words still echoed in my heart. I hadn’t expected it. The way he said it caught me off guard. I was on a call with him, and just like that, he said, “I love you.” He didn’t even wait for a reaction before ending the call. I sat there stunned, staring at my phone, wondering if I had heard him right. But I had. And the warmth that filled my chest told me exactly how I felt.

I loved him too.

We met the next day, and I couldn’t keep it to myself. I told him how shocked I was, how happy I felt hearing those words. He smiled—his usual subtle, careful smile—but I could see it. He was happy too. That moment changed everything. We already knew how we felt. The connection had been growing steadily, but now, it was undeniable.

“So that means we’re dating now?” he asked with a grin.

I laughed, playfully holding back. “Not yet. You haven’t asked me to be your girlfriend.”

He smiled even wider, looked straight at me, and said the words I had dreamed of hearing.

“Will you be my girlfriend?”

My heart melted. I wanted to pretend, to do shakara and say I’d think about it, but what was the point? I had already made my choice. I knew who I wanted.

“Yes,” I said, smiling, blushing, feeling like the happiest girl alive.

We spent the rest of the day laughing and talking. Later, we met up with my friend and her male friends. It felt so easy, so natural, like he had always been part of my life. We sat together and teased each other. At one point, my friend’s male friend complained that she didn’t eat enough. Donovan chimed in, saying the same thing about me. They all started talking about how I barely ate real food—how I ate 10 biscuits instead of a meal. I just gave them side-eyes, pretending to be annoyed but secretly enjoying the attention.

When we parted ways, I gave him a side hug—shy as always. My friend wasn’t having it. She nudged me, “Hug him properly now!” she laughed. I was shy, but I couldn’t stop smiling. It felt real. It felt right.

Nothing really changed between us after we made it official—except that we grew stronger. We were more open, more comfortable, and more bonded than before.

But love isn’t just about sweet moments. Our first challenge came not long after.

There was this guy I was close to—someone I saw as a friend. I didn’t realize Donovan didn’t like him. One day, I and this guy were heading to the café. On our way, we saw Donovan and a mutual friend. Donovan greeted us and even spoke with the guy, but I could sense something different in his energy, though I brushed it off.

After the guy and I left to get food, I returned and went to talk to my friend instead of going straight to Donovan. It was a small moment, a brief decision—but it hurt him deeply. I didn’t know until it was too late. He suddenly rushed off to his hostel, visibly upset. I was confused, trying to understand what had gone wrong.

I called him—over and over—but he didn’t pick up. I felt a growing knot in my chest. Eventually, I called my friend, and in the background, I heard Donovan shouting. His voice was filled with pain and jealousy. He was angry about seeing me with another guy, upset that I hadn’t come to him first. He felt like he wasn’t enough, like I had forgotten him.

I cried. In my friend’s hostel, the tears just wouldn’t stop. I didn’t mean to hurt him—I didn’t even realize what I had done. I just wanted him to understand that no one else mattered to me but him.

Later that evening, he called. His voice was softer now, filled with regret. He apologized for shouting, for letting his emotions get the best of him. But then he asked, “Do you still love me?”

My heart broke hearing the fear in his voice—the fear that maybe I didn’t love him the same way anymore.

“I do,” I told him, honestly. “I still love you.”

We met to talk things out. That day, he opened up about his feelings, his fears. He told me how jealous he had felt, how hurt he was thinking I might leave him. I apologized over and over, tears still slipping down my face. He wiped them gently and pulled me into a hug.

“I’m sorry too,” he whispered.

That moment made our love deeper. It showed me the raw, unfiltered truth of how much we meant to each other. After we made up, we took photos and videos together. He kissed me, held me, made me laugh by sticking his tongue out in a goofy way. I teased him, and he just smiled, looking at me like I was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

Exams came, and though I was still shy, I found ways to show my love. I remember asking him for one of his t-shirts. When he gave it to me, it still had his scent. I hugged it tight and smiled like a child with her favorite toy. My roommate teased me when she saw the shirt. She wanted it too, but I clutched it protectively. It was mine—his gift, his scent, his presence.

None of my friends interfered with us. They supported me fully. They told me I had changed—that they hadn’t seen me this happy in a long time. They knew what my ex had put me through, the way I had stopped being myself emotionally and mentally. Now, they saw the joy return to my eyes.

We hadn’t started planning a future yet, but we talked about love, about loyalty, about fears. We opened up to each other. For once, it all felt perfect. And for the first time in a long time, I felt like I had made the right choice.

Donovan wasn’t just the boy I fell for. He was the beginning of something new—something real.