I met my younger self for coffee on Valentine's Day

A conversation between who I was and who I'm becoming

She showed up downcast, shoulders sagging under the weight of disappointment. I showed up with my head held high, carrying the lessons she had yet to learn.

She ordered nothing, saying she wasn’t in the mood to eat. I ordered a slice of red velvet cake and two glasses of chapman, pushing one toward her with a knowing smile.

She told me she was stuck in a draining relationship, one that made her question her worth. I told her that was for a fleeting moment, one she’d soon break free from.

She told me she cries herself to sleep, wondering if she’ll ever find love…just as she envisioned in her notes to God. I told her God took those notes, embellished them, and weaved the most beautiful love story with lots of extras.

She asked if love still felt like a scam, too far-fetched to be real. I smiled and told her love was never the problem, only where she had placed it. I found love in its truest form, wrapped in kindness, patience, and certainty.

She sighed, stirring her drink absentmindedly. “So, I won’t always feel like this?” I reached for her hand. “No, you won’t. One day, love will feel safe. It will feel like home.”

She asked if she would ever stop settling for less than she deserved. I told her I learned to walk away, not from fear but from the assurance that the right love would never make her beg to be chosen.

She told me I looked great, and she can’t wait to be in my shoes. I told her I’m here today because she never gave up on herself. Because even in her lowest moments, she still held on to hope.

She smiled—soft, hesitant, but real. “So, I made it?” I nodded. “You did. I’m living in the prayers you once whispered.”

I thanked her for staying strong; even in those nights her world came crumbling. For pushing through, even when she doubted love would ever find her. For choosing herself, time and time again!

As we stood to leave, I pulled her into a hug, whispering, “Thank you for never settling, for believing in something greater, even when it felt impossible.”

She held on a little longer as if drawing strength from the future she had yet to live.

As she walked away, I watched her with a quiet sense of pride. She didn’t know it yet, but every heartbreak, every tear, and every unanswered question was leading her here.

To a love that feels like home, to a life she once only dreamed of, to the version of herself she was always meant to become.

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