Song: Next to Me

I’ve made more mistakes than I care to count, but one stands out more than the others. The one that nearly cost me everything.

It was a rainy night when I came home, drenched not just in water but in guilt. I could barely look her in the eye, knowing the weight of what I’d done. The fight from the night before still echoed in my mind—the harsh words, the frustration, and how I’d stormed out, saying things I didn’t mean. Now, I stood in front of her, expecting the coldness that would follow, bracing for the end.

But she was still there, sitting at the kitchen table, her hands wrapped around a mug of coffee. Her eyes, though tired, didn’t carry the anger I thought they would. I wanted to apologize, to explain everything, but words failed me. All I could do was stand there, waiting for her to say something, anything.

Instead, she just looked at me and nodded toward the seat across from her. I sat down, my heart pounding like a drum, knowing that this might be the last time we’d sit like this, together. But then, her voice broke the silence, soft yet steady.

“I know you’re not perfect,” she said, “and neither am I. But I’m still here. I’m still next to you.”

I didn’t deserve it—her patience, her forgiveness, her love. I’d pushed her away more times than I could count, yet she was still there, looking at me like I was worth saving. My mind raced with everything I should say, but all I could manage was a broken, “Why?”

She shrugged, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Because I believe in you. I believe in us.”

In that moment, the weight of everything I’d been carrying fell away. I realized that love wasn’t about never making mistakes; it was about finding someone who stays even when you do. She was the one who stayed, who never gave up on me, even when I’d given up on myself.

And so I made a promise, one that I’ve kept ever since—that no matter how hard it got, I would always be next to her, just as she had been next to me.

As the rain continued to fall outside, I reached across the table and took her hand, knowing that in this moment, we had weathered the storm together.

story was written by nugi

point of view: Dan Reynold

Inspired by

Song: Next to Me

Singer: Imagine Dragon

Album: deluxe edition of album Evolve