Early on, he announced, calmly and confidently,

“I want to be certain, as I’ve entered into relationships without asking enough questions, previously.”

Exactly on time, as if he had read the tilt of my head, my guarded heart, and inquiring mind,

“I have also leapt too soon, completely falling for a promise of what’s to come based on an initial swoon without proof of concrete action”…

My mind recounts what I most value: compassion, confidence, curiosity, creativity, dependability, generosity, honesty, intelligence, playfulness; reliability, and vulnerability combined with a bit of swag and sex appeal.

This is our hundredth conversation in as many weeks, and I have set aside attraction to listen with interest and zeal.

In every line of every memory, he has never once uttered these words: adored, excited, hopeful, loved, passionate, safe, sated, or ultimately impressed

So, at the moment, I am left to guess if his version of relationship is simply loyal without the rest.

— Just L (June 26, 2023)