I definitely believe in the whole "strands of destiny" thing. The connections we establish with other people are truly something special and unique. To that point, a platonic relationship would've served the theme better. (for the record, I'm not saying you should rewrite your story 😅 just musing on what the story would've been like without the romantic element - it would be harder to pull off, that's for sure).
Anyway, I'm a sucker for bittersweet stuff, so this was great. 😄
I'll try to flow with more fluid endings outside of the romantic realm, glad you'll like it.