I think back to someone else I once knew. Someone else with an easy smile and warm regard. A female who’s now a vaporous memory that doesn’t bang against my ribs or heart. Not after I tied all those heavy, painful parts to a rock now anchored to the bottom of my icy internal lake. Companionship is something I work hard to avoid. And mostly succeed. The harder you care, the more fragile everything seems. Easier to just . . . Not.
