My girlfriend [22F] is quite independent, but sometimes it seems like she doesn't genuinely want to spend time with me.
I'm reaching out to express my feelings and seek some advice. I've been dating Grace (a pseudonym) for just over two months now, although we’ve been close friends for over a year. We seem to complement each other perfectly—our humor aligns, our life goals mesh well, and we’ve shared secrets and helped each other heal past traumas. It’s all wonderful, except for one issue: her strong independence. She did give me a heads-up early on about her need for independence, saying she might need to know if it became a problem so she could address it. I understood her position, as I’m fairly independent myself and appreciate alone time. The issue, however, is that it feels like I hardly see her. Despite living just five minutes apart, I've taken the initiative to plan most of our dates, while she hasn’t reciprocated much. Our time together can sometimes amount to just 2-5 hours a week. While I know that can be sufficient for some busy couples, it’s puzzling for us as we both have free evenings and few commitments pulling us away—it seems she just prefers to be on her own. This has come up several times in our conversations. I’ve openly shared how it makes me feel a bit unwanted when we could be spending time together but aren't. After a couple of weeks of not suggesting any plans, I noticed that if I don’t initiate anything, it simply doesn’t happen. Last week, I expressed that quality time is a significant love language for me and emphasized how much it would mean to spend more time together. She seemed understanding and agreed, saying she wanted to meet that need. When I asked if there was anything I was doing—or not doing—that contributed to our limited time together, she shook her head. This week has been similar; our interactions consisted of just an hour on Monday, another hour on Wednesday, and three hours on Friday. We discussed making plans for today (Saturday), but she opted for something else instead. I’m feeling frustrated and confused, especially since we’ve talked about this multiple times, and it’s starting to feel a bit deliberate. While we’ve had conversations about potentially marrying in November, I’m finding it difficult to envision a future with someone I only see a few hours each week. I’ve been putting in substantial effort to support her needs, but it doesn’t feel like the same level of enthusiasm is reciprocated. How should I approach this topic with my girlfriend? How can I help her understand my feelings, especially since we've addressed it before? If there's anything I need to clarify or additional details you’d like, I’d be happy to provide them. Any help would be greatly appreciated.