My significant other and I have had a... somewhat unorthodox start. We were friends for nearly a year before we started perusing a romantic relationship. Despite initial awkwardness stemming from my own indecisiveness, which I have worked on extensively, our relationship has blossomed and matured. But there is one thing she's always been very guarded about, and that is the word "love."
Before me, she was in a series of bad relationships with men who put her down, disrespected her Hispanic heritage, and just plain treated her like garbage. She's still dealing with issues stemming from it, and I've done my best to show her that I am very different. But as a result, breaking down her walls has been an ongoing process.
The other night, I was driving her and her little sister home from a party at her cousin's. After her sister left, we spent a few more minutes talking. As she was leaving, she looked back and said "I love you," before quickly ducking into the house.
Now, when she said this, she was obviously intoxicated, which she's admitted makes her a lot more open and less guarded. When I talked to her the next day, she admitted she remembered very little of the night before. (During said night, she had a small breakdown, crying in my arms and telling me about how past boyfriends treated her, and how she sometimes feels she doesn't deserve a nice man like myself). She remembers some of it, but not the majority, including the L-bomb drop.
So, the conundrum for me is, do I bring up the fact she said she loves me? Or do I wait until she feels confident enough to say it when sober?