MasukThere are things that change quietly. They don’t come like storms, and they don’t feel big enough for us to notice right away. They come in the form of small questions, excessive concern, and simple words that sound like love. At first, we even feel lucky to have them. That’s how it was with Tiar.
After our relationship grew closer, our lives slowly returned to their own routines. Tiar went back to college in the city where he studied, while I returned to work at the bank. We couldn’I knew Tiar was angry before I even saw him. Whether it was the way he stood before me with an unreadable expression, or the gaze that felt far colder than usual. Even when our eyes met, there was no smile, the one that always appeared whenever he looked at me. He had come home earlier than I expected. And strangely, seeing him this time didn't bring me relief. Instead, it made my stomach churn. “Tiar…” He didn’t answer right away. He just stared at me. A few seconds passed in a silence that felt endless. “I came home because we need to talk.” I nodded slowly. “Is this about Mike?” His jaw tightened. “What do you think?” I took a breath. “I’ve already explained everything.” “You always say that.” “Because there really isn’t anything going on.” He looked away for a moment, then rubbed his face. “I
There are things that change quietly. They don’t come like storms, and they don’t feel big enough for us to notice right away. They come in the form of small questions, excessive concern, and simple words that sound like love. At first, we even feel lucky to have them. That’s how it was with Tiar.After our relationship grew closer, our lives slowly returned to their own routines. Tiar went back to college in the city where he studied, while I returned to work at the bank. We couldn’t see each other as often as we used to. There were no more spontaneous dinners or short meetings just to spend time together. Instead, we relied on messages and phone calls to stay close. Almost every morning, Tiar would send me a message. Good morning. Don’t forget to eat. If I took too long to reply, he would ask if I was busy. If I got home late, he would call to make sure I was safe. I liked all of it. It felt good knowing that even in the middle of his busy life, he still thought about me.
After the accident, something about Tiar changed. Or perhaps, more accurately, something that had always been there finally began to show.He became much more attentive than before. Every morning, his messages were among the first things I saw when I opened my eyes.“Good morning, beautiful.”“Did you sleep well?”“How’s your body today?”“Any pain?”Sometimes, before I could even reply to one message, another would arrive.“Have you eaten?”“Don’t skip breakfast.”“Take your medicine.”At first, I smiled every time I saw his messages. I felt cared for. After what had happened to me, I understood why Tiar might still be traumatized. He had almost lost me, and perhaps that had made him more afraid that something would happen again. But slowly, his attention became more than I needed.If I took a few minutes to reply, he would call.“Where are you?”“At work.”
The days after we became a couple felt almost unreal. Tiar slowly became part of my everyday life, so naturally that sometimes I forgot there had been a time when we were strangers. He was the first person I talked to in the morning and often the last person I spoke to before going to sleep. Even when he was busy with college, he always found a way to send me a message. “Morning, sleepyhead.” “Morning.” “You’re awake early.” “Because someone keeps waking me up.” “I didn’t call you.” “Your messages are enough.” He laughed when I told him that, and somehow, conversations that meant nothing became memories I wanted to keep forever. I was happy. Maybe happier than I had expected to be. For the first time in a long time, I stopped questioning whether I was making the right decision. I simply enjoyed having someone who made me feel wanted. That morning, T
There are moments when someone slowly becomes part of your everyday life without you even realizing when it happened. That was exactly how Tiar entered mine. At first, he was just someone I happened to reconnect with after years apart. Then, somehow, his messages became something I looked forward to, his jokes became the reason I smiled at my phone, and his name became one of the first things I looked for every morning.That night, Tiar asked me to have dinner with him. It was supposed to be simple. Just dinner. At least, that was what I kept telling myself.I stood in front of my closet for almost an hour, changing clothes more times than I would ever admit. Every time I looked in the mirror, I found something wrong. Too simple. Too formal. Too much. Not enough.I finally settled on something simple and comfortable.“This is just dinner,” I whispered to myself.But my heart didn’t seem to believe me.When Tiar arrived, I immedia
The more I talked to Tiar, the more I realized one thing about him. He was annoying. But somehow, he was annoying in the most enjoyable way possible. He had this strange talent for turning almost everything into a joke. Even when I was complaining about work, he always found a way to make me laugh. One afternoon, I was telling him how exhausted I was. “Work is killing me today.” His reply came almost immediately. “Then quit.” I laughed. “Easy for you to say.” “Fine. Don’t quit.” “Then what?” “Marry your boss.” I stared at the screen. “What?” “Problem solved. You don’t have to work anymore.” I rolled my eyes. “You’re ridiculous.” “At least I’m useful.” “How?” “I give solutions.” “Terrible solutions.” “Still solutions.” I laughed again. That was Tiar. Sometimes his jokes didn’t even make sense. Sometimes they were so bad that I couldn’t understand why I was laughing, but somehow, I always did. He had a way of making conversations feel easy, light, and comfortable. I could talk to him ab







