I’m Used To People Leaving, But I’m Still Hoping You’ll Stay

People leave. It’s simply the way life works. I’ve grown accustomed to the feeling, numbed by the sheer number of souls that have passed through my life. There are so many names, so many faces, accumulated over the years.

But fate is an unpredictable thing.

You are just like the others, I tell myself. I’ve buried you in the sea of people that inhabit my mind. You will leave, like all the others. The sea breeze will claim you before long, and I will be left standing with the wind in my hair — a gentle reminder of something lost.

But hope is sometimes a terrible thing.

I’ve grown accustomed to your presence. Like pebbles at the bottom of the ocean, smoothed over time, so we’ve changed — though slowly, though we may not notice it. I dare to hope that we’ll change together, grow together.

But love is much, much worse.

Like the ocean’s foamy waves, love was bound to reach the shores of my heart. It is a sneaky thing, slowly building in the depths until it crashes unto you, leaving you stunned and breathless.

There are many things I do not know.

There are days when we are crystal clear, blue skies reflected over still waters. But there are more days when storms brew. The waters are treacherous, they will drown us if they can. Just like the dark depths of the sea, nobody truly knows what the future holds. Uncertainty fills every step towards the deep, and it scares me to death.

But let me tell you of the one thing I do know.

Just as I understand currents can never stop flowing, I know that I would never stop you from leaving. But, as each day passes, a terrible thing fills my heart, and you should know that I hope you decide to stay.