Safe, Even If He Leaves

I used to think love was staying no matter what—

that safety meant endurance,

not peace.

But today, I learned that true safety

doesn’t scream at the storm—

it breathes in the middle of it,

and says “we will be okay.”

Safety looks like presence that doesn’t flinch

when the silence is heavy

and the air between us is sharp.

It looks like a man

who has my back when I’m not in the room,

who doesn’t speak about me differently

just because I’m not listening.

It looks like love

that doesn’t choose me out of guilt,

but chooses me

because I am still the softest place he’s ever known.

Safety isn’t loud.

It’s not always forever.

It’s the whisper that says:

“I see you.

And when I can’t help us—

I won’t hurt us either.”

“I will step away with dignity

before I ever destroy what was holy between us.”

Today I realized—

if it ends,

it doesn’t mean I failed.

It means I stayed soft,

even while learning how to be strong.

It means I protected my peace

instead of preserving a performance.

It means I was safe

even if he left—

because this time,

I never abandoned me.

-The Soft Witness