How to reply when she says she needs time to heal

When she brings up past hurt unprompted, she's doing two things at once: she's telling you she likes you enough to be honest, and she's setting a real limit on what she can give right now. This is not a rejection. A rejection is 'I'm not interested in you.' This is 'I'm interested but I can't move at normal speed.'

The reason she's telling you now instead of three weeks in is also important. She's trying to prevent you from getting hurt later. That's a good sign about how she treats people. Don't confuse the boundary with lack of feeling.

First, show that you actually heard what she said. Not by repeating it back or asking more questions, but by responding as if her words landed. Second, make it clear you're not going to panic or disappear. A simple statement that you get it and you're not running is enough. Third, hand the timeline back to her without making promises you don't know you can keep. Say something that puts her in control of when she reaches back out, not you waiting with your phone.

Text your reply and then actually go quiet for a while. Not forever, but long enough that you're clearly not sitting around thinking about her next move. Two to four weeks depending on how the conversation ended. This does two jobs: it proves you meant what you said about giving her space, and it lets her miss you.

If she doesn't come back after six to eight weeks, take it as your answer. She may have decided she needed more time than she thought, or someone else came along, or her healing took a different path. That's not your failure. A good reply can't make someone ready if they're not.