Is this love or just fear of being alone?
We've been together 3 years, living together most of that. Met at a church picnic back home in Ohio—everyone loved her, my mom kept saying how she'd make a good wife. Which, yeah, we talk marriage sometimes. But it feels... automatic? Like we're just going through the motions because it's comfortable. I work days at the auto shop, she's a dental hygienist. We watch TV, eat dinner, go to bed. Weekends we see my folks or hers, do yard work. Nothing's bad, but nothing's really lit, you know? Last month she said if I don't propose soon she might leave. That freaked me out. I want to make her happy, but I'm not sure I'm doing this because I'm in love or 'cause I don't wanna face starting over. I hate being alone, honestly. We don't fight or anything, but we don't really talk about hard stuff either. Like when my dad lost his job, I didn't say a word. She didn't push. We just... kept doing the dishes. So how do you know if it's real? Or are we just two scared people holding on 'cause letting go feels worse?