That I wasn’t holding onto another person, but to an answer, and to hope. I’m not sorry you didn’t end up being that for me. I’m grateful, because it made me see that the love I was trying to replace wasn’t totally gone.

Pro: The attention.

She hauls in a bag or two full of sparkles and spangles and fringe, tiny outfits and brightly colored thongs that are just strips of fabric, no substance.

We fall in love with the idea of a person, of all the things we glimpse in small, rapid moments, and cling to those flashes with a desperation that can carry us on for years.

I don’t know what it is exactly, but it seems like you really really care for me in a way that others just don’t. You seem to really want the best for me, both physically and fiscally.

I live alone. Correction: I’m a lady who lives alone. Because of these facts, I do some pretty weird things since no one is around to judge me except for my mirrors and own ego. For example, I sing.

The word “retarded” is defined as being less advanced in mental, physical, or social development than is usual for one’s age. I used the term in an appropriate and applicable manner.

So many arguments in dating relationships, friendships, and marriages are rooted in one sinister question.

6. “I don’t talk to her anymore!”

When you wait to say “I love you”, the things you say instead can end up being far more specific, personal, and genuine than anything else.