I definitely thought this was about lost love at first, but then I saw this under the subcategory of "new love". The tone kind of changes here, and I like how you transition from mentioning the leak to the memories in the garage and the reminder of their past self. Getting to know someone new and their "demons", what haunts them, and trying desperately to help and be there while they are healing.

There's a softness and a depth in this. I perceived their "house" as a metaphor for everything they are feeling emotionally, the leak being their sense of self, their mental health perhaps, isolating out of fear. The connection to the old movies and old cassette tapes, a heartache, a loss, still remembered by keeping these portals to the memories.

The "reminder of who you once were" struck me. It made me think, a reminder to not become that person again, or a reminder to hold onto those emotions that make one human, to not shut everything out from the past, to acknowledge and let yourself feel something.

A thought-provoking piece. I really liked the details and how it was just enough to be personal yet keep the reader guessing, in not too many lines.

Keep sharing!