What if I said I’m happy—that I can’t help but smile when I’m with you, that our laughter fills the emptiness, that when we make eye contact across the room something sparks inside me, that my life has been filled with incredible moments, but you are the largest of them.

What if I said I’m thankful—for the way your hand feels on the small of my back, for how your fingertips intertwine in mine with ease, for the way I’ve learned I can count on you, and how simple and beautiful that is.

What if I said I knew—that from the moment we made eye contact I had this buzz building in my chest that wasn’t from the drinks, that the first time I said your name the syllables melted on my tongue, that I liked the way you smiled, the way you laughed, the way my name sounded leaving your mouth.

What if I said I love you—as if those three words could somehow be enough, as if the quiet moments shared between us could somehow explain the wild and wonderful ways we’ve shifted from strangers to knowing what each other is thinking before we say the words aloud.

What if I said you’re my person—the best damn thing that’s ever happened to me, the one I want to call mine and wake up next to for the rest of my life?

What if I said forever—a promise unfolding between us from all our yesterdays into our tomorrows, bleeding together in all our mess and glory as we choose one another day after day—a reminder that we are here, that this is real, and that we’ve finally found what the world spends their entire lives searching for.

What if I said always, and kissed our future onto your lips?
Would that be enough to make you stay?