She was my best friend before she was my love. We grew together, laughed together, and somewhere along the way, I knew she was the one.

But love isn’t always enough.

She wanted forever, and I knew she deserved it. But I also knew, deep in my soul, that I wasn’t ready to be the man she needed me to be. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

The night she asked me about marriage, she had hope in her eyes. And I hesitated. Not because I didn’t love her, but because love, real love, means wanting the best for someone even when that best isn’t you.

So, I let her go. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I couldn’t hold onto her when I wasn’t sure I could give her the future she dreamed of.

Now, I see her sometimes in old pictures, in familiar places, in strangers who laugh the way she used to. I wonder if she’s happier now. I hope she is. Because as much as it hurt, I know I did the right thing.

And yet, some nights, I still wonder did I walk away too soon?