
A conjugal encounter
The Holiday Inn clerk smiled when we arrived early without luggage. He had no idea that after 14 years of marriage and two children, we were in crisis: My wife said, “I am not meeting my needs”; our dramatic loss of income; my troublesome dreams of living apart. No, it was not a date but 12 hours of conversation, a marital meeting centered on what we wanted and did not want from our union. Of course, we made love; the conversation is great foreplay. We found that the more we communicated, the better love was. We have been married for over 50 years now. – Tom willing
Hoping he has a bigger life
Not a day goes by that I don’t think about those big white paws, the fur I would find everywhere, even in my fridge. I gave up my dog ââsix months ago and still find it hard to tell people the truth about this. I had fallen ill and was burdened with large medical bills; I knew he deserved better than my tiny New York studio and my overworked black body struggling to make ends meet. Struggling to stay alive. I still see him on my daybed, watching me meet clients. Play with a bone. Hold my heart. – Sabrina C. Sarro
She showed me what could be
At 46, I suddenly felt drawn to women. At 47, my first date with a woman was a social distancing picnic on a cold December night. She booked a campsite. I came to a fire, twinkling lights and soup. We celebrated Valentine’s Day through Zoom, making paella in our separate kitchens, both with ingredients she had provided. In March, I watched her photograph the stars on the shores of Lake Superior. Vaccines authorized on regular dates. Our relationship ended in August. With grief comes a new knowledge of what is possible. Under the full moon, I think of her and I am grateful to her. – Anne Schmiege
Everything is fine with the relationship
“Oh, are you Charlie’s sister?” “No, Charlie is my brother.” For as long as I can remember, this has been a recurring topic of conversation among my peers. I’m only 20 months older than Charlie, so we operate in similar social circles. He is cheerful, calm and effortlessly good with people. I am none of those things. âCharlie’s sisterâ reminded me of the qualities I lacked, until Charlie enlisted in boarding school. I missed him, I realized: what chance am I to be the sister of the nicest person I know? – Lily bernstein
Night trips
Good chemotherapy gifts are hard to find. After 20 years of friendship, Nancy succeeded. Glossy travel magazines have arrived in the mail with pristine beaches and distant cities. A post-it asked, “Wait. We’re going there someday.” The chemo is over. The surgery healed. Incurable lymphoma persists. âEnough,â she said over the phone. âI foresee Paris. I had never been. Nancy, fluent in French, whirled us around the cobbled streets, toasting our friendship and our life atop the Arc de Triomphe. Now isolated, with a looming reprocessing, I travel every night in my head towards the Seine, Rodin’s gardens, Monet’s water lilies. Nancy’s gift persists. – Lisa J. Sage