Call It What You Want

by Alissa DeRogatis

I had been the only person in his life that wanted to love him through anything.

Unconditional love is someone breaking down the cage of your ribs to get your heart and you trusting they’ll protect it just the same.

Our relationship may not have been conventional. It wasn’t a fairy-tale romance that we’d tell our kids and grandkids about one day. It was comfortable silences, familiar laughs, and hugs that felt like home. What we had wasn’t something I could ever put into words. It was just us. Call it what you want, but for me it was love.