he said i never understood him. maybe i didn't. because i couldn't understand how a man who says he "loves" you never buys flowers, never plans dates, never shows you off, and never makes you feel special. that wasn't a different love language. that was the absence of effort. because when someone truly loves you, they make it known in ways you can feel, not just hear. and maybe i didn't understand him because i was too busy trying to understand why love from him always felt like something i had to beg for every single time.