elephant's graveyard: paper mache hearts

⊹ ˚₊ ♪ ˚₊‧꧁ 𓆩༺ 𝄞 ༻𓆪 ꧂‧₊˚♪ ₊˚⊹

   Welcome

I wanted to dedicate this piece to my beautiful partner, Jack. He has taught me how to love so deeply, and I never thought I'd ever experience anything close to what we have. I never believed I was capable of being loved gently, and you have shown me nothing short of tenderness, kindness, patience, and adoration. It's always been you, and it will always be you, and I see you in every aspect of my life. I love to reminisce on our time shared together, and whenever someone asks me about you, my ears perk up, and I fall in love with you all over again whenever I speak about our story.

On your 19th birthday, I remember getting so nervous before driving three hours to see you for the weekend, and the whole way there, I was just so incredibly nervous. I got out of my Spanish class, and I had to take deep breaths in my community college parking lot before setting out to see you. I had known you for years at this point, but there was something so different about this time, and I remember when we were together, I was starstruck looking at you, and you looked to me like I was the only one in the whole world.

Drunkenly climbing the stairs of your dorm to get to your room so you could

read the card I made, you hugged me and I never felt more close to you, and I felt my heartbeat in my face so so fast. I had come to the overt realization I was, and had been in love with you for years, when you left after spring break, and I confided to my friends, and after that point, any moment with you felt like I was going to pass out from how fluttery my heart got.

When you put your arm around me for the first time, I remember leaning on you, and hearing that your heart race just as fast as mine, and I was so shy to let you see my face after we'd looked at each other millions of times. Hearing you say you've always been in love with me just made my heart soar, and I don't think I've ever felt more connected to a person in my life. When you wake me up by running your hands through my hair, and kissing my forehead, and when you sneak your arm around me when we're out, I can't help but feel weak in my knees, and I feel like I have the biggest crush in the world.

You have known me for years and have seen me grow into the person I am today, and you've held my hand through life. I hope to continue holding it for the rest of the years ahead of us. There had been times in my life where I felt incapable of being loved, or as if I was never going to be with my person. I think the best thing I've ever been told, was from my good friend Felix. I was in a rut, and ruminating on feelings of unworthiness, and being unloved, especially considering my historic success with Love, and he said something on the lines of "One Day, you will experience a love so great it will make up for all the times you weren't loved." It really shook me to my core, and no words had ever sunk with me more than those, and I think of those words often when we are together.

The love you show me now, and the love you showed me when I was 13 and writing in pen all over my arms make me so emotional, and you love me to such an extent where I don't have the time to even care about the past. You have taught me that the right person will come around naturally, without force or awkwardness, and that being my authentic self, and allowing you to love that has healed me in ways I never knew possible. I promise every day to love you, and to treat you like every day is our first date. You have taught me that love will never make me question myself, or my relationship, and that love will never be fighting to stay together, or make something work. It just simply will be, and we are with one another because we complement each other's lives, support, and adore one another.

You are the smartest person I know, you always know what to say, and you're the biggest sweetheart. You care so deeply for the people in your life, and so hard working. I'm so proud of you for graduating early, and for everything you will accomplish in the future, and I can't wait to be beside you for every milestone.