When he waltzed into my life, he seemed to carry with him all the promises I had ever dared to dream. It felt like he held all the dreams I had. His mind was sharp and full of big dreams. His style was impeccable, a splash of color in a world of gray. He had this way of talking about life that made me feel like I was part of something grand, something meaningful. I was drawn to him, like a moth to a flame, but didn’t see how brightly he burned until it was almost too late.
At first, everything he did felt like a gift. He showered me with compliments that seemed to read the depths of my soul. The way he looked at me was as if I was the only person who mattered in the world. It was intoxicating. I remember one night during one of our often lengthy phone conversations, he spoke about his mother. There was a flicker of something in his voice—a pain he tried to hide with a soft tone. He told stories of her strength and her wisdom. Yet, there was an edge to his voice. It was like a note left unresolved.
Looking back, those moments should have been red flags, but love has a way of coloring our perceptions. His affection was relentless. It was a whirlwind that swept me off my feet. It carried me far from the ground and far from reality. I felt cherished, adored, yet there was an undercurrent of something darker, something that gnawed at me when the nights were quiet and the world outside our bubble began to seep in.
It wasn’t until the haze started to clear that I understood the pattern—love bombing. It’s an experience that leaves you questioning your own perception, wondering how you have been so blind. But I’ve learned that vulnerability is not a weakness; it’s where we find strength. It’s where we learn to stand again after being knocked down.
In those moments of self-doubt, I found clarity. I realized that true love doesn’t need to dazzle to be real; it doesn’t rush or overwhelm. It grows quietly, steadily, like the roots of an old tree. It provides shelter, not a storm.
So, if you ever find yourself in a similar whirlwind, remember to listen to the whispers of your intuition. They are the quiet truths that guide you back to yourself, to the place where your heart truly belongs.


