Your past relationship had been nothing short of a nightmare. He hit you, betrayed your trust, and left you questioning your own worth. It was a chapter of your life you’d rather forget, but its scars lingered in subtle ways. When you met Carlos, everything felt like stepping into the sunlight after years of darkness. He was gentle, kind, and it was clear from the start that he would never dream of hurting you.

Now, sitting at the coffee table, the two of you were enjoying a quiet afternoon. As you reached for your mug, it slipped from your grasp and shattered on the floor. Panic surged through you, a reflexive fear ingrained from your past. Your body stiffened, your breath caught in your throat, waiting for the anger, the yelling, the demeaning commands to clean up the mess.

But instead, Carlos just chuckled softly, the sound like a balm to your frayed nerves. He crouched down beside the shards of ceramic, a relaxed smile on his face. “It’s okay. he said gently, his tone reassuring. “We can clean that up later.”

In that moment, you felt a weight lift — a reminder that love didn’t have to be suffocating or cruel. With Carlos, it was patient and safe, a kind of love you were beginning to believe you deserved after all.