You did it! You’ve finally found someone you connect with, someone who makes you laugh, someone who you could imagine being with for a while. It’s such an exciting feeling, finally finding someone. Only, there’s something kind of weird about this one.

“Why go out when there’s everything we’ll ever need at home? Think of all the money we can save by just making dinner ourselves,” they’ll say. Sure, it’ll be nice for a while. Sooner or later, you’ll notice it’s an every-weekend occurrence. Does she know that restaurants even exist?

It’s almost as if you don’t exist in her life. You can’t go out on dates, and meeting her family is completely out of the question. Every time you do hang out, it has to be in secret. Her friends even think you’re just roommates. She doesn’t post cute Instagram pictures of you, and in fact, she doesn't even acknowledge your existence on social media.

Does this sound like you? Well, if it does, chances are you’re dating someone who’s in the closet.

It happens to all of us at least once. You meet an amazing person, fall in love, and everything seems to be perfect. Sooner or later, you’ll realize there’s one small problem: You can’t be seen together in public.

She’s in the closet, and of course, you’re right back in there with her.

Although there’s nothing wrong with not being out to anyone, it does play with your self-esteem when you're in a relationship with someone who isn’t out. “Why don’t they want to be seen with me?” “What’s wrong with me?” These thoughts creep into your head, and soon, you're blaming yourself for the entire situation.

You have to remember: It’s not your fault. Coming out is one of the scariest things a person could ever do. Everyone needs their own time to build up the courage to do it. It takes time, it takes time for self-love and self-acceptance.

There’s no telling how others will react to your partner coming out. What’s important is that you do not push them. Just simply remind them how much you care for them and that you’ll always be there for them.

But when they finally do come out, it’s one of the best feelings in the world. It’s almost as if your relationship is restarting, and the two of you can finally be seen together. You can go out, you can finally show them off the way you’ve always wanted to.