I Thought Love Was Just Duty… Until I Wanted More

A story about breaking generational patterns, healing for more, and redefining what love means to me.

I grew up watching two good people do the best they could. My parents had an arranged marriage. There was no dating, no butterflies, no love letters.
Just two families, some expectations, and a quiet hope it would all work out.

And it did, in many ways.
There was stability. Responsibility. Provision.
My dad believed his job was to take care of the family. And he did.
But love?
Romantic, safe, emotionally-connected love?
That part felt… missing.

But I never saw them flirt. I never saw them light up around each other. There was no hand-holding in the kitchen or slow dancing in the living room. There was structure and stability, and they loved me SO much, yes. But no softness. No soul-deep romance.

For a long time, I thought that was normal. That love was a luxury. That chemistry and devotion were for the movies, and that in real life, you marry a good man and just make it work.

But something in me always ached for more.
I wanted softness. Safety.
A partner who saw me, not just provided for me.
A love where we grow, not just survive.

A while back, I was dating someone who looked great on paper. Smart, respectful, decent job, great with parents. But every time I left a date, I felt… a little emptier.