Memories hold such power, don't they? I think it's hard when part of us holds on to memories where we might expect those same things from a person, even though time has changed them perhaps. But maybe holding on to memories is also a way to remind us of a person's true self, and evaluate who they are today. Have they changed, grown? Is the friendship/relationship worth continuing if we are only finding joy from past memories, and the ones created now are forced and not holding the same honesty and enjoyment?

The ending lines held more sadness for me than anything else. Holding on to each other because you don't know what else there is, or because it's what you've known for so long, and loneliness is the motivating factor behind it. The fear of the unknown in leaving, but also the reality of loneliness when you're together. That can be one of the toughest feelings... experiencing a certain type of loneliness when you're with someone that used to make you feel whole, and now, it's just a hollow presence. I also liked how you mentioned "justifying" in this piece. Because I think we can convince ourselves something should still continue if we're unable to see ourselves in the future, if we're unable to guarantee if we'll be happy again, or we should settle for this mediocre feeling. Knowing the relationship's end but having that hope because without hope, what else would there be?

A reflective piece, keep posting!