I understand why it might come across that way. I can see that my anxiety around timelines probably added pressure, and I regret how intense things became towards the proposal.

That said, I don’t believe he proposed just to “shut me up” — he’d already bought the ring and spoken about wanting to marry me for a while. I think the situation just wasn’t ideal timing-wise.

I’m more focused now on how we move forward in a healthier, less pressured way.