They say, "You know you're loved, right?" and I nod. Because it would hurt them to hear the truth. I know it in my head, I see the way they show up, the way they try, but I don't feel it where it's supposed to land. It's like there's a wall inside me that won't let the warmth through. I smile, I say thank you, I lean into the hug, and I hate myself for how empty it feels. What kind of person can't feel love when it's right in front of them? I start wondering if something in me is broken beyond repair, if I ruined my own ability to receive the very thing I ache for. They see someone cared for, but I feel like something in me is missing. And I stay quiet, because how do you admit, "I know you love me, I just can't feel it," without sounding broken?