I gave more grace than the friendship could hold

Dear Delyara, That may be the clearest thing I know now. I gave grace, understanding, patience, context, benefit of the doubt, second chances, emotional labor, and history — so much history. I thought grace was keeping the connection alive. Maybe sometimes it was. But eventually I could see that I was pouring into a structure that no longer held reciprocity well enough to give the grace a place to land. That’s what made the ending feel so strange. It was both grief and relief. I miss the memory. I don’t miss how lonely I had become inside it.