My boyfriend proposed to me, and I said yes. The next day, he said, “I’ve made a hasty decision. I’m not ready for marriage,” and asked me to return the ring. I did and then left. The next day, I went back to his place for my stuff. I came in and saw… him practicing a speech in front of the mirror, tears in his eyes.
He didn’t notice me at first. I stood quietly as he rehearsed, saying, “I pushed her away because I’m scared. What if I’m not enough? What if I fail her?” His voice cracked with emotion I had never seen before. In that moment, I realized he hadn’t ended things out of indifference, but out of fear—fear of responsibility, fear of imperfection, fear of love that suddenly felt too real.