We Can't Break Up Now (Or Can We?)

In Order to Love Someone Else...

The next few weeks were filled with dinners, movies, and walks in the park. Tommy and Mia were getting closer, but Tommy still couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't ready for a relationship. He decided to talk to his therapist about it. After a few sessions, Tommy realized that he was still dealing with the aftermath of his past relationship. He wasn't ready to commit to someone else because he was still healing from the past. He knew he had a long way to go, but he was determined to work through it. He decided to talk to Mia about it, hoping that she would understand.

They met up at a coffee shop one afternoon after work and Tommy took a deep breath before speaking. "Mia, I need to talk to you about something." Mia looked at him with concern, "Okay, what's up?" Tommy took a sip of his coffee before continuing, "I've been struggling with my past relationship and I don't think I'm ready for a relationship right now. I care about you, but I need to focus on myself for a while." Mia's heart sank, but she tried to hide it by taking a deep breath. "I understand," she said, trying to sound supportive. Tommy noticed the change in her demeanor and couldn't help but feel guilty. "Mia, I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt you." Mia looked up at him with tears in her eyes, "I know, Tommy. I care about you too, and I promise, I'll wait for you, as long as you need." Tommy smiled, "Thank you so much, you're a really great friend." As they said their goodbyes, Tommy couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness. He knew he had made the right decision, but it didn't make it any easier. He hoped he could be ready for a relationship one day, but for now, he needed to focus on himself. As he walked away from the coffee shop, he realized that he had learned a valuable lesson. Sometimes, in order to love someone else, you need to love yourself first.