There was a time when I laughed so freely,
loud and unafraid—
because you were there.
Every ordinary day
became a shared inside joke,
a silly comment,
a burst of joy.
I didn’t know then
that memories were being written—
quietly, gently,
like ink soaking into paper
without us even noticing.
You were the laughter I never expected,
and, for a while,
the reason I smiled without trying.
And then you weren’t.
And it hurt.
Oh, it hurt more than I ever imagined.
But time did what it always does—
softened the edges,
gave me space,
taught me how to breathe without asking why.
Now, when I look back,
I don’t cry anymore.
I smile.
Because even if it ended in silence,
what we had was loud.
And that’s something
no goodbye can take away.