There is a part of me that is easy to love, the version of me made of sunshine and starlight, full of laughter, life, and effortless warmth. The part of me who cares deeply, who would give you the world. The part who finds adventure in the smallest moments, who holds an ocean of depth in their eyes, who sees beauty in the mundane and believes that imperfection is its own quiet art. The part who notices every crack and nurtures it with all the gentleness they know how to offer. That version is easy to fall in love with, easy to admire. But what matters most is whether someone can stay in love after meeting the version I keep hidden from the world. Because there is also a part of me that is hard to love, the anxious me, the overwhelmed me, the exhausted me. The part with an urge to run away, to fall silent. The part that feels shame, that feels unworthy, that feels broken. And I want to be held there, in my vulnerability, to be told, "l see you, and you are all the more cherishable for it." Because I believe you cannot truly love someone without accepting their darkest corners as well. And I know this isn't an impossible standard. I know it's real because l am full of love, and I am willing to do the same, and more, for my person.