I wish I had loved you in the way
that spoke in silences rather than words,
not to fill the air with promises I couldn't keep,
but to listen to the quiet moments between us,
where love wasn't loud, but simply known,
a current flowing beneath everything we said.

I wish I had held your gaze longer,
not seeking validation,
but to truly see you—
not the version I wanted you to be,
but the one who stood before me,
imperfect and whole,
in ways I was too...