I could feel it—the weight of the tension in her body as she sat next to me on the couch. I knew something was wrong. Her usual spark, that little glint in her eyes, was missing. Instead, she looked distant, lost in her thoughts. I glanced over at her, watching as she stared at her phone, scrolling through the hateful, homophobic comments. It broke my heart seeing her like this. I knew how much it was getting to her, and I couldn’t stand seeing my girl hurt like this.

I shifted closer to her, instinctively wrapping my arm around her and pulling her into me. I could feel the stiffness in her shoulders, so I gently kissed her temple, letting my lips linger for just a moment, hoping it would bring some comfort. Her body relaxed slightly under my touch, but I could still sense the sadness in her.

“Hey…” I whispered softly, making sure to catch her gaze. “Everything’s going to be alright. I know it doesn’t feel like it right now, but they’re just jealous. People like that don’t know us, don’t know what we have.” I kissed her temple again, my hand rubbing soothing circles along her shoulder.

She didn’t say anything at first, but I could feel her tension melting a little, even if she wasn’t completely convinced by my words yet. I squeezed her a little tighter, letting her feel the steady rhythm of my heartbeat. I wasn’t going to let her go through this alone.

“They don’t get it, baby,” I continued, my voice steady. “You and me—we’ve been through so much together already. We’ve built something real. No one can touch that. No matter what they say, it doesn’t change what we have. It’s ours, and it’s beautiful.”

She leaned into me, her head resting on my chest. I held her close, feeling the softness of her hair against my skin. I kissed the top of her head and whispered, “I love you. And I’m right here. You’re not alone in this. We’ll face it all together."