Tides go out far enough to make you nervous. Coming back is the whole deal with tides.

Retreat is part of a rhythm, not evidence that something is leaving for good. The water going out looks alarming if you only see that half, but the going out is what makes the coming back possible, and neither one is the whole pattern. Low points in energy, friendship, and interest often run on the same schedule.

When something you care about pulls back, resist reading the low water as the end. Wait a cycle before you make any decision about it. Notice what the last few dips actually did, and whether they came back the way they usually do.