I’ve been with the same boy for a year and three months. At first, it felt like something out of a movie late-night drives, laughing until our sides hurt, tiny rituals only we understood. There were no big fights, no cheating, and everything felt easy and sweet. Lately, it’s like the music that used to play us out has been turned down. The jokes don’t land the same, the texts are shorter, and the little surprises we used to do for each other have almost disappeared.
It’s not dramatic, just quiet. We still hang out, but the spark that made me butterflies is gone. I’ve tried being more affectionate, planning small dates, and bringing up memories to spark conversation. Sometimes he smiles and says he loves me, and other times he seems distracted or too tired to talk. I don’t want to be the clingy girlfriend who makes mountains out of molehills, but the way I miss him hits like a physical ache, like there’s a distance I can’t cross.
Part of me wonders if this is just a normal relationship change, and part of me is terrified that we’re slowly growing into roommates instead of lovers. I love him and I want us to get back to that happy place, but I don’t know how much I should push. I’m young, but this relationship matters to me. I don’t want to throw it away, yet I don’t want to lose myself waiting for something that might be over.
Has anyone else felt this fade? What can I actually do that helps, not just makes me feel better for a night? How much effort is too much, and when is it time to accept that we might be drifting apart?
