She had been talking to him for four months. They met at a bar through a mutual friend, and the attraction was immediate. He was charming, confident, and had a way of making her feel like she was the only person in the room. They exchanged numbers, and he texted her the next day. The conversation was easy, flowing naturally from one topic to the next. They went on dates, real dates, the kind where you dress up and feel butterflies in your stomach. They kissed, they laughed, they shared secrets. She started to believe that this was going somewhere, that he was going to be her boyfriend, that she had finally found someone who was ready for a real relationship.

But then things started to shift. His texts became less frequent. His enthusiasm seemed to wane. He stopped making plans, stopped initiating conversations, stopped showing the same level of interest he had shown in the beginning. When she asked him about it, he said he was just busy with work, just stressed, just needed some time to sort things out. She believed him. She gave him space. She waited.