The Third Time was the Charm
He only hit her the one time. It was a slap to the face, but that’s hitting right? She was barely 19 years old, they’d been living together almost a year, and it was during an argument. She loved him. Her definition of love anyway. He was her first adult boyfriend. She was much too inexperienced to understand that the ghosts of childhood and girlfriends past drip onto current relationships. She was still an emotional child herself. After the first year, she would explain to him. She would tell him that she was his, but not for taking or possessing. In the depths of the despairing argument she would assert, “I give myself to you.” She offered her love and attention and all the gifts she was aware of…to him. He didn’t know and respect that subtle difference. To deeply love another person is to respect them so much that you delight in what they are offering themselves. Back then, she could only imagine another person could of...