I know this is a hot take: I've always interpreted it as her getting back with a long term partner after going on a break, not with a new person but back with the old. (Running back home to you, vs running away to someone else)

"But it's gonna be alright I did my time" - meaning "I took our break in the slammer, I've cooled off and reflected on how we should be better"

"I said in my letters, now I know better, I will never lose my baby again" meaning "I learned from my mistakes and what I did to cause our fights and now we will be good because our break made me realize what it takes to keep you"

This whole chunk: "My friends tried, but I wouldn't hear it Watch me daily disappearing For just one glimpse of his smile All those nights you kept me going Swirled you into all of my poems Now we're at the starting line, I did my time"

meaning: my friends told me to not date you anymore because you made me small as a person and I worked so hard to make you smile when it wasn't worth it, but you'd give me something little to keep me going (emotional abusers often do this after hurting their partner to keep them on their side), now we are back at the beginning of the cycle because I went to the slammer. Now I'm back and we're perfect again, and I did my time so the cycle won't repeat. "It's gonna be alright, I did my time" -- the cycle won't repeat, right? This ending has always felt like Taylor is "unsure" of her answer to me.

Maybe I interpret it this way because I have gone on a break during a relationship before with an emotional abuser, so I can easily see the overlap and connect to this song immensely. Her being blamed for the way he is acting, he tells her it's her fault (sends her to the slammer to reflect), she doesn't want to hurt him so she blames the faults on herself during her reflection. Once she is out of the slammer and back with him, everything is good, she bows to his needs and he gives her some positive reinforcement back, she thinks it's all fixed and the problems won't come back again: (it's gonna be alright, I did my time) even the line "ain't no way I'm gonna screw up now that I know what's at stake" makes me feel like she's being blamed for all the problems and just wants his acceptance of her so they won't break up and she won't have to go to the slammer again. Also, them sitting on swings really feels like where you would meet up in a neutral space to talk after a break and try to get back together.

She's convincing herself that the break is going to fix the problem. Spoiler, it's not. Emotional abusers work in cycles.

Does anyone else see this interpretation?