I Loved You While You Were Leaving · Track 02
For when “almost” felt like love because it was still more than the kind of presence you learned to expect.
Inside this song
Why did almost being loved feel like enough for me?
Sometimes “almost” can feel enormous when it gives us more closeness than we learned to expect. Recognizing that doesn’t make your feelings less real. It helps you understand why you stayed and why you’re allowed to want more now.
“You needed space, I needed proof, And I kept shrinking just to stay close to you”
For when you realize you weren’t comparing the relationship to healthy love, you were comparing it to what love had looked like before.
Read the full storyLyric sheet
[Verse 1] The start was magic , light in your eyes Late-night talks and butterflies You showed up first, held every door Made me feel like I was worth waiting for But real love crept in, and you pulled away Said it’s moving fast, you “need space” I chased the ghost of what we were While you built walls made out of hurt
[Pre-Chorus] You said, “I can’t do anything right” But all I wanted was your steady light Not perfection, not a flawless plan Just your presence, your open hand
[Chorus] But you ran when it started feeling real Pulled back the second you began to feel And I leaned in, afraid to lose Even leaving you felt like abandonment too You needed space, I needed proof And I kept shrinking just to stay close to you It wasn’t love, just fear dressed up You were almost mine… But this was almost love
[Verse 2] You messaged her like I wouldn’t know Needed control when you couldn’t let go I wasn’t asking for perfect lines Just someone brave enough to try But I reminded you of something deep And that scared the part of you that doesn't speak So you backed away with silent grace And I stayed, starving in that empty space
[Bridge] You felt close, but only next to what I knew A little more present than my dad, but still untrue I called it love because it almost fit But love doesn’t leave like this
[Final Chorus] You ran when it started feeling real While I begged your silence to finally heal And I leaned in, afraid to lose Even walking away felt like breaking you You needed numb, I needed more But I kept knocking on a locked front door It wasn’t love, just fear wrapped up You were almost home… But this was almost love
About the song
For when “almost” felt like love because it was still more than the kind of presence you learned to expect.
The story behind
“Almost” is about realizing that something can feel incredibly close to love and still not have the safety, consistency, and emotional availability needed to actually become it.
I wrote this song about a relationship that felt magical in the beginning. There was chemistry, effort, excitement, and connection. For a while, it felt like I had finally found what I'd been looking for. Then intimacy became real. And that's when our fears seemed to take over. He pulled away when things became deeper, and I responded by reaching harder. The more distance I felt, the more reassurance I needed. The more reassurance I needed, the more pressure he seemed to feel.
The line, “You needed space, I needed proof,” became the heart of this song. Because neither of us was necessarily fearless. We just protected ourselves in opposite ways. His instinct seemed to be creating distance. Mine was trying to close it. And somewhere between those two survival strategies, we lost the relationship we were trying to protect.
One of the most personal lines is: “A little more present than my dad, but still untrue.” Because healing made me recognize that sometimes what feels like extraordinary connection isn't actually giving us everything we need, it may simply be giving us more than what we're accustomed to receiving. Something can feel safer than your past without actually being safe enough for your future. That's a difficult distinction.
For a long time, I called the relationship love because it almost gave me what I had always wanted. Almost secure. Almost consistent. Almost emotionally available. Almost home. But almost became the problem. I kept falling in love with what the relationship could become instead of accepting what it consistently was. And that's what the title means.
Almost love isn't saying none of it was real. The feelings were real. The connection was real. The good parts were real. But real feelings aren't always enough to create a healthy relationship. Sometimes two people can genuinely care about each other and still be too governed by their own wounds to create something safe together. And eventually, I had to stop knocking on a door that remained locked. Not because I stopped caring. Because I finally understood that almost home isn't home.
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