I rush through my shower, my pulse racing, even though my run ended over twenty minutes ago. I can’t believe Monica told Emily about the conversation she and I had in private. I’ve never been so angry, and I can’t even direct it at Monica. She was right. I should have confessed to Emily immediately. The only reason why I didn’t was because I was a coward. I was afraid Emily would leave me. And she did that anyway. Monica said Emily’s moving out. I fucked everything up.

I throw on the first clothes I can find and walk out of my room, heading to the kitchen, where I left my car keys.

“Where are you going?” Monica asks.

“I don’t know. I’ll drive all around Priority if I have to.” I have to look up her friend Tara, find out where she lives. I’ll bet anything Emily is with her, telling her what a dick I am.

“Then I’m going with you,” she says, grabbing her car keys. “You’re in no condition to drive.”

The door opens, and Emily walks in holding a small yellow notebook. Her eyes go to me and then Monica. “Monica, could you give us a minute, please?”

Monica nods. “Of course. I was just saying it looked like a nice day for a walk. Take your time.” She squeezes my arm reassuringly as she walks past me toward the door.

Emily closes it behind her. “Can we talk?”

I can’t believe she’s even willing to talk to me. “Yes. Absolutely.” I put my keys down on the counter. “Do you want to sit?”

She shakes her head. “No, I think I need to stand.”

So she can bolt at a moment’s notice? I drag a hand through my wet hair. “Okay,” I say.

“Why didn’t you tell me about Lonnie?” she asks, her voice softer than I expect, considering how mad she must be.

“I was planning to. I almost did yesterday, but you planned all those things and I didn’t want to ruin it.” She starts to say something, but I hold my hand up to stop her. “No. That’s no excuse. It’s my fault, entirely my fault. I should have told you the second it happened.”

“She didn’t get called into work earlier this week, did she? That’s when you ended it.” She nods, putting it all together.

I take a deep breath and decide to come completely clean. I owe her that much. “I was never okay with dating Lonnie. She’s great, but I couldn’t see myself with her. Not when I still have feelings for you.” I step toward her but don’t touch her. “I thought if you saw I was open to a casual relationship, you’d be willing to date me and ultimately see we were right for each other. It wasn’t fair of me to put you in that situation. I was an ass, and I’m sorry.”

She’s quiet, and I don’t know if she’s trying to process what I said or if she’s too angry to speak.

“I also asked to write that article on the Burbridges because I thought if I went there with you and we saw a couple who made it work...”

“That I’d be able to envision a future like that with you?” she asks.

My stomach sinks, but I force myself to nod. “I’m sorry, Emily. I know I’ve made a mess of everything, and if you really want to move out, I’ll understand. I deserve that.”

“I wrote my piece on Ethel and Frank,” she says, opening the notebook. “This morning actually.”

After I ruined everything. Now I feel like I should apologize to Ethel and Frank as well. I’m sure Emily’s feelings for me made her slant her piece in a negative way.

She turns the notebook in my direction. “I want you to read it.”

God, I’ve never been dumped via an opinion piece, but I guess there’s a first time for everything. I take the notebook, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath before reading it.

Can Love and Marriage Withstand Human Nature?

by Emily Richards

If you asked me weeks ago what my stance was on commitment, I’d flat-out tell you there was no such thing. Look at the divorce rate in this country. The evidence is in black and white. Most marriages fail. Why? Because people are incapable of committing to anyone but themselves.

My parents and their parents before them were divorced. I don’t have a single example of a loving relationship between a man and a woman in my life. I never have. And then I met Frank and Ethel Burbridge, a couple who has been married for seventy-two years, living right here in Priority. I was able to speak with them and find out how they’ve managed to make their marriage last. And do you know what I learned? They considered divorce at one point. That’s right. The couple who holds the title for the longest marriage in Priority almost called it quits. Because when life throws you curve balls, instinct is for self-preservation. That’s what happened with the Burbridges. They experienced a loss that almost drove them apart. I admit I wasn’t surprised when I heard that.

What did surprise me is what Ethel told me next. She said Frank refused her suggestion of a divorce. He wanted to help Ethel through her grief. He saw past himself and thought of her instead. I was still leery at this point because how many men like Frank Burbridge really exist in this world? If we look at those divorce rates again, the numbers tell you there aren’t many. Things aren’t looking good for love and marriage, are they?

But here’s what I also learned. While I’ve never met a Frank Burbridge, I have met a David Burke. I dated David, not once but twice, under the pretense of things remaining casual—no true commitment to each other. Surprise, surprise, it didn’t work. And do you want to know why? The reason surprised me. I fell for him. He cared more about my happiness than his own. He sacrificed his feelings for mine. In the end, that made him keep secrets from me and ultimately drove a wedge between us. But I’m hoping the source of those lies by omission—love—is strong enough for us to make this work.

So can love and marriage withstand human nature? The answer isn’t an easy one. It can if and only if you’re willing to work hard at it. Divorce rates say most people aren’t willing, but that doesn’t mean that’s the answer for you or for me. In fact, I can tell you it’s not the answer for me.

When I finish reading, I realize I’m holding my breath. How is it possible that she’s willing to forgive me for what I did, knowing why I did it? “Emily...”

“I don’t want to be my parents or my grandparents,” she says through tears. “I don’t want to date Sebastian, no matter who he looks like or how sweet he is.” She steps toward me. “When Tara asked me what was wrong with Sebastian, do you know what my answer was?”

I shake my head and swallow hard.

“He isn’t you. I tried to keep myself from feeling these things for you, but what I realized was I had only succeeded in keeping myself from admitting my true feelings.” She steps close enough for me to touch, but I don’t. I don’t want to push her or rush her in any way.

“I’m falling for you, David, and it scares the hell out of me. But you were willing to try something for me, and if you still want to, I’m willing to work hard at making things work between us. Just us. No one else.”

I’m not stupid enough to question her on this, not after that piece she wrote. “I’m sorry,” I say again. “For not being honest from the start.”

“I know you are. I know the kind of person you are, David. You didn’t intentionally try to hurt me.”

“I never would.”

“So what do you think? Are you willing to make this work between us?”

I’ve never seen her look so vulnerable. I know this isn’t easy for her. I reach for her waist, and she places her hands on my arms. “Emily, that was my real birthday wish. That you’d let me in and realize we belong together, which is something I’ve known all along.”

“Sorry it took me so long. I always thought I was a quick learner.”

She never had anyone to show her what love looked like. “I’d say you did learn pretty quickly once you had a good example.”

“What do we do now?” she asks.

I dip my head toward hers. “We start here.” I kiss her softly. “And then we take this as slowly as you need to.”

She wraps her arms around me. “Not too slowly,” she says with a smile before kissing me again.