We’ve all been in that almost-relationship. Not quite a fling, but also not quite a partnership. Something that feels safe enough though to really lean into, but without the hard-launch on Instagram. For me, it lasted for nearly five months of regular dates, lowered shoulders, intimate shared stories and the quiet thrill of imagining a potential future with someone who seemed to really like me back. After years of choosing fleeting comfort over long-term commitment, this felt different: deeper conversations, openness, the sense that we were both on the same page. And then, shockingly, with one quick conversation over drinks, it wasn’t.
