Lyrics

[Verse 1 – Before]
I used to think love was color-coded skies
Late-night calls and cinematic cries
Kisses under streetlight scenes
Like all those songs in magazines
Thought pain was proof, and silence meant depth
That fire and chaos came with respect

[Pre-Chorus – Before]
I had a notebook full of hearts and stars
Made a shrine out of every scar

[Chorus – Now]
But love’s not a movie, it’s mess and breath
It’s showing up on days that feel like death
It’s hands that shake but never leave
A truth that cuts and helps you bleed
It's not forever or some perfect weather
It’s better — and worse — than what I dreamed

[Verse 2 – After]
The first time wasn’t some sweet escape
More like fumbling through a paper stage
His words were soft, but he wasn't kind
He liked control, not what’s inside
I laughed it off like I was okay
But something old in me fell away

[Pre-Chorus – After]
I stitched myself with every song
Took the lie and wrote it long

[Chorus – Now]
'Cause love’s not a poem or a neon sign
It’s an echo that fades but still aligns
It’s knowing yourself through every fall
It's learning that touch doesn’t mean it’s love at all
It’s not the story I thought I'd write
But it’s mine — and I say it with light

[Bridge]
I still want the fire, I still want the pull
But only if it lets me stay whole
I don’t want rescue or something wild
I want to grow — side by side

[Final Chorus – Now]
Love’s not magic, not the cure
But if it’s real, it will endure
Through the silence, through the storm
Through who I was, and who I've worn
It’s not the dream — it's the breath that stayed
After the dream slowly slipped away