Yesterday, on the 6th of December, I tried to give myself a little space — a pause between my soul and my thoughts. Somehow, as often happens this time of year, that quiet space carried me straight into the arms of yet another Christmas movie. December does that to me. I wrap myself in layers of warmth, pick out my favourite comfort foods, crack the window open just enough for a whisper of cold air to slip in, and lose myself in the glow of holiday lights on screen. There’s something soothing about scrolling through OTT platforms until I find a Christmas film that feels like a soft place to land — a little world of borrowed magic, where strangers fall in love and everything feels possible for a while.

Last night, I chose Champagne Problems. There’s something so gentle and beautiful about watching romance unfold and seeing people discover themselves through love — learning to be honest, to be brave, to simply be. It feels comforting, even if real life doesn’t always reflect that same simplicity… at least not in my experience so far. Still, the story stayed with me, especially the way the French express “miss you.” In French, “Tu me manques” translates to “you are missing from me.” And somehow, that feels so much closer to the truth of the emotion.

When I say “I miss you” in English, it usually means we long for someone’s presence, for moments shared, for the feeling we get when they’re near. But tu me manques… it carries a deeper ache. It suggests that when you’re not here, a piece of me is absent too. That your warmth, your essence, your love — all the little parts of you that intertwine with who I am — are missing from my world, and from me. It’s not just longing; it’s the quiet recognition of how deeply we can belong to each other without ever claiming ownership.

And somehow, in the glow of a Christmas movie and the chill of winter air, that sentiment felt especially true.