The Third Love

Love isn't something you only say—it's something you show. That's what this chapter of our lives taught us. We didn't need constant reassurance. We had actions that spoke louder than promises. Presence that outweighed poetry.

Zeon was proving his love in ways that didn't always come with big declarations. He showed up. For every tear, every joy, every plan. He remembered the little things—like how I liked my toast just slightly burnt or how I always rubbed my hands together when I was nervous.

I proved mine in my own ways. Late-night calls just to check on him after work. Packing snacks for his shifts. Praying for him silently even when he didn't ask.

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One day, he came home with a pair of matching bracelets.

"They're not expensive," he said. "But I want us to have something we wear every day. A little reminder—even when we're apart—that we're always connected."

I looked down at the simple black braided band. On the inside, it had a tiny engraving: Proof over words.

I couldn't stop smiling.

"You really think of everything," I said.

"No," he replied. "I just think of you all the time."

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Proof also came in how we handled conflict now. We had learned to pause instead of attack. To listen instead of win. We didn't raise voices. We raised understanding.

When I felt overwhelmed with my course load, he didn't brush it off. He helped create a study schedule. When his work hours stretched into weekends, I brought lunch to him instead of complaining about not seeing him.

It was these little acts. These moments that didn't shout love but whispered it so loudly in our hearts.

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He once told me, "I don't want you to ever wonder how I feel about you. I want you to know—every day, every season."

And I did.

Because love is never in the big gestures alone. It's in consistency. In showing up when it's not convenient. In loving even when it's hard.

That season of our lives was quiet, stable, and peaceful.

And it proved more than words ever could:

We were in this for real.

We were building something that couldn't be broken.