It just came to me. I was like wow, I know this person well. They know me well, we're really good friends... so I think this is love? I was trying to figure it out for months until it finally dawned on me that yes, this was love! 😛 Why else would I smile every time I see him? Why else would I imagine a future with the two of us? Why else would I blush and get those butterflies in my stomach? And most importantly, why haven't these feelings gone in the last 3 years?
That's how I realized.