Funny You Should Ask

by Elissa Sussman

“ ‘I don’t want to be worshipped. I want to be loved,’ ” Gabe repeated. He had a good memory. “Is there a difference?” he asked. “I think so?” I said. “You can worship someone you don’t know, but you can’t love them.”

“I’m divorced,” I say. “Happily divorced.” “Are you?” he asks. “Happy?” I lift a shoulder. “I could be happier, I guess. Couldn’t we all?” He reaches a hand out, his fingers sliding through my hair, thumb brushing against my temple. I shiver. Not from the cold. “I could make you happy,” he says.

“I thought we’d established that I’ve read everything you’ve written.” It’s one of the hottest things anyone has ever said to me.

All marriages, just like all countries, have conflict. Sometimes patriotism is strong enough to overcome it—weighing what is shared against what could be lost—but sometimes, the conflict highlights that the country itself was founded on unsteady ground.

It’s feeling like every day is the perfect day, even if the whole day isn’t perfect, but finding the moments that are.