this is what’s actually happening.

You know your patterns.
But when a new connection begins
you still shrink
or overcompensate
or say what you think will keep things smooth.

And then you leave the moment unsure.
Or you stay too long hoping it will click.

It’s not that you’re unclear.
It’s that no one ever showed you how to stay with yourself
when love starts to feel real.

That’s the skill.
And that’s the gap.