"Women are emotional creatures. They only believe what they want to believe. All I have to do is convince her I’m madly in love with her."
He had attached a photo of himself standing outside my rented apartment, holding a strawberry shortcake and a bouquet of flowers.
That image was seared into my memory.
It was when I had just started working, while Ethan had gotten into a graduate program in Chicago. That was the beginning of our three-year long-distance relationship, separated by thousands of miles.
Back then, stepping into society for the first time had hit me harder than I expected. What I’d learned at school and what was required at work felt worlds apart.
It was Valentine’s Day. My roommates all went out with their boyfriends, while I was stuck working overtime, revising proposals.
Loneliness, longing, and frustration overwhelmed me. I called Ethan, sobbing into the phone.
"Ethan, I’m not asking for anything. I just feel so miserable that you’re not here. School and work are so different, and I miss you so much. I know it sounds childish, but I can’t help it."