They began talking through social media, and what started as casual replies slowly became part of her everyday routine. Messages turned into midnight conversations, and laughter slipped into places she didn't know were empty. He listened in ways others never had, noticing even the smallest shifts in her tone. There were no rushed promises this time, no dramatic confessions — just quiet consistency. Trust built itself gently between them, without pressure or fear.
She didn't realize when her guarded heart began to soften again. It happened in small moments — in the way she smiled before opening his messages, in the way his words lingered long after the conversation ended. For the first time, love did not feel like a risk she was blindly taking. It felt like a choice she was consciously making.