"Falling in love with you was a leap of faith

and conquering my fear of the uncertain.

Falling in love with you was not knowing where I was going

and it was okay because you were there to take me by the hand.

Falling in love with you was pink skies, moonlight

and secrets shared under the stars.

But falling in love with you also meant painful fights and ugly cries.

Falling in love with you was, sometimes, getting a bruised ego and a broken heart.

Falling in love with you was dealing with distance

and the distance felt even when we're right next to each other;

and that's when I was no longer falling for you, that was when I chose to love you.

I chose to love you not because you were perfect,

but because I saw your flaws and loved them because they're a part of you.

I chose to love you not because you always made me feel special

but because you didn't stop loving me,

especially during the days when I become too selfish.

I chose to love you not because you were the ideal person inside my head

but because you made me realize and see the things that matters most through the heart.

I chose to love you not for the grand gestures

but for the little things that count the most.

I chose to love you not for the pounding in my heart

but for the calmness I feel whenever I am with you.

I chose you not only for the spontaneous adventures and shared laughter

but also for the home I find in your arms after a good cry, after a bad fight.

Choosing was so different from falling,

because falling in love meant being overriden by my feelings

and choosing gave me the freedom to love you in the way that I know I can.

Thank you for everything, love—the inside jokes, the memories, the vulnerability, the good and the ugly.

I love you."

Words and photo from Alyssa Joyce Sevilla.