I spent my life putting tokens down
Hoping someone'd turn around
A song a word a photograph
Waiting for the echo back

But love's not measured not exchanged
Not earned through effort not a game
And silence doesn't mean I'm lost
It's time to tear the contract up

The road forward isn't winning
Isn't proving I belong
It's not a bid for their attention
Not a plea wrapped in a song
I am seen when no one's watching
I am known without applause
The road forward isn't earning
It's believing I am loved

I've chased the weight of empty praise
Measured worth in fleeting waves
But real life doesn't play by those rules
It sits beside you in the room

So I'll stop keeping tallies high
Stop waiting for replies
And maybe love's been here all along
Not in echoes but in eyes

The road forward isn't winning
Isn't proving I belong
It's not a bid for their attention
Not a plea wrapped in a song
I am seen when no one's watching
I am known without applause
The road forward isn't earning
It's believing I am loved

So I'll ask instead of waiting
I'll give instead of take
Not barter for belonging
But live the love I crave

The road forward isn't winning
Isn't proving I belong
It's not a bid for their attention
Not a plea wrapped in a song
I am seen when no one's watching
I am known without applause
The road forward isn't earning
It's believing I am loved

And maybe just maybe
That's enough