When a relationship ends, our sympathy immediately goes towards the two people who were directly involved. They&rsquo;re the most affected, after all.
Then again, I&rsquo;m sure we&rsquo;ve thought about the ones who loved that love, too. We already know what happens to the couple who split up, but what happens to the friends who cheered you on, the family who saw your partner as their own, the group chats that once lived for your couple updates?
It's not often talked about, but we think they lose something, too.
There are always people quietly left behind when an adored relationship ends. The best friend who used to film your sweetest moments now hesitates to ask how you&rsquo;re doing. The mom who still slips their name in casual conversation, forgetting it&rsquo;s a tender subject. Even the barkada that grew close to your ex starts to wonder whose side to take, when in truth, they just miss seeing you both happy.
When you loved someone so deeply, your love didn&rsquo;t exist in a vacuum &mdash; it became part of shared memories, mutual care, and intertwined routines.
Maybe that&rsquo;s the bittersweet beauty of it: that love, when real, radiates outward. It touches not just two people, but everyone around them. And even when it&rsquo;s gone, it leaves traces in songs that once played during road trips, in stories that still make people smile, and in hearts that once believed in forever because of you.
So if you&rsquo;re one of the ones left behind, grieving a love that wasn&rsquo;t yours but still mattered&mdash;it&rsquo;s okay. You&rsquo;re allowed to miss them, too.&nbsp;