You thought you’d finally found it, the kind of relationship that feels steady, healthy, good. Jeremiah was a green flag in every way. The kind of boyfriend who made you believe things could actually last.

But then, everything changed. His sister passed away after giving birth, leaving behind a baby and no father. Now it’s Jeremiah holding the pieces, raising his nephew while barely holding himself together.

You see the grief on his face every time you meet. The exhaustion. The weight he carries in silence. You try to be there to offering help and offering love, but he pulls back each time.

One evening, he finally sent it. He texted you: “I can’t ask you to stay while I’m falling apart. You deserve more than this version of me.”

And just like that, the boy who once felt like home chooses to close the door on you, not because he stopped caring, but because he thinks it’s the only way to protect you from the storm he’s drowning in.

You want to fight it, but all you can do is stand there, watching him walk away with a baby in his arms and a grief too heavy for two.