Something In the Way

She moves in the morning as if she’s merely a woman. She is the love of my life. How do I know? Well, that’s a longer story. How long have we been together, me and this uber-lady? Almost a year. Too early to tell. Correct.

And yet…

As I look back over all of my relationships, what makes this one so different?

Yesterday, a male friend asked, “Have you ever been in what you call a healthy relationship?”

“There was…” I started. “And… I’m gonna say no.”

That’s a pretty stark self-assessment, sure, but we didn’t know about things like Love Languages, we didn’t know about emotional intelligence. Heck, we were young and idealistic. But taking in the breadth of my entire history with women, what makes this one, this new woman, so different?

I could go for the easy answer, but I won’t. I might try and tell you about how much fun we have, how beautiful I think she is, and how her smile lights my way every morning and every night. I could try to convince you that this one is different. But I can’t even really convince myself. That’s okay, though. Totally, okay.

“I am the happiest I’ve ever been.”

Yes, I know, I’ve said this more than a thousand times in recent history, but this is different, sustainable, and calmer.

Somehow, this one feels safe. That changes everything.

Read more Short-Short Stories from John.