i'm not afraid that no one will love me again. i'm afraid i can't love anyone anymore. not because i stopped believing in love, but because too many things changed me. too many disappointments made me more careful, and too much pain taught me how to protect myself. i worry that when something real finally comes, i might not know how to open my heart the same way again. i might question every good intention, doubt every promise, and keep my guard up. loving used to feel natural, but now it feels harder than before. the saddest part is not being unloved. it is wanting to feel deeply again, but wondering if that soft version of me still exists.