The Valentine Bonus Series
Love, Cynicism & Still Hoping
A Valentine series for people who’ve loved hard, learned slowly, and still haven’t stopped paying attention. Six essays on love, cynicism, boundaries, and the quiet hope that refuses to stay quiet.
This series includes:
Six weekly Valentine essays (posted Wednesdays)
One Friday the 13th wrap-up on bad romantic decisions
A Valentine’s Day coda that admits hope hasn’t left
Each post stands alone — but together, they tell a bigger story.
The Quiet Choice
The Quiet Choice (Why Staying Is Underrated)
There’s a version of love we don’t talk about much.
It doesn’t arrive with sparks or speeches. There’s no dramatic pause, no swelling soundtrack, no perfectly angled photo that makes strangers comment with heart emojis.
It’s quieter than that.
It’s staying.
Not because you’re trapped. Not because it’s easy. But because—on an ordinary Tuesday, with nothing particularly romantic happening—you choose not to leave.
That used to confuse me.
I thought love was supposed to announce itself. Make noise. Demand attention. If it didn’t feel urgent, I assumed it wasn’t real.
Now I’m not so sure.