Untying the Knot

by Meghan Quinn

I cling to him like he’s a lifesaver, helping me stay afloat, yet . . . he’s also the thing drowning me.

reminds me of the man I fell in love with. The man who wasn’t driven by proving himself but who simply lived life to his fullest. The man who took me into his arms when I needed him the most and showed me how much I mattered. How much he truly loves me.

For a few years, even though he was busy playing baseball, I knew I was his world. Well, I shared it with baseball. But I used to feel treasured. And lately, all I’ve felt is . . . invisible. I don’t want to live like that anymore.

you’re missing out on the opportunity to share the burden of your childhood with someone else. You know you don’t have to carry that baggage by yourself. There are people out there willing to help you carry it. And the right person won’t just carry it. They’ll unpack it until there isn’t much baggage left.”

I cry in frustration. I cry in anger. I cry because even though Ryot is the man I’ve always dreamed of, somewhere along the way, he lost himself and became the man I’ve always dreaded. Careless. Absent. Indifferent.

everyone is impressive in their own way.”

taking time to help me see the value I offer to this crazy world.

I want you to know that when you’re around me, with me, you can rest on my shoulder, on my strength, on my courage, and any burden you might be carrying, I’ll help you carry it as well.”

a marriage is about being in a partnership. It’s never one-sided. You aren’t the only one in our marriage who was supposed to be strong.”

“Marriage is a partnership. We both carry each other in separate ways like you said at dinner. You gave just as much to this relationship as I have. We’ve patched up each other’s wounds, we’ve guided each other through the dark and through the comfort, and when it came down to it, we were each other’s number ones. That’s what falling in love is for, Myla, the give and the take, the partnership, the knowledge that no matter the circumstances, you don’t have to walk alone.”

“I hear your apology, and I thank you, but I’m telling you right now that I understood where you were coming from. When you’re out of control and it feels like there’s nothing you can do about it, you try to control other things around you. You could control our relationship and, because you didn’t want to be hurt or disappointed again, you stepped back. Found an excuse to end things.”

“You know, sometimes we have to consider that there’s more to life than what we accomplish and the goals we check off.” He sets his drink on the table and turns toward me. “There’s a reason the human body is conditioned to love, and it’s so we don’t have to walk around this planet alone. So we don’t have to face the trials and tribulations of our journey in the dark, but rather in the light from the guidance of the ones we love. Goals and dreams come and go, but love, that lasts forever. Don’t lose it because you’re too worried about what might happen to your goals.”

“Your heartbeat is the cadence of my life, and without it in my palm, I’m an aimless wanderer.