Lionel nods and continues. “Quality time should be easy to figure out. The people with this love language value your time. They feel the most adored when you want to spend time with them without their prompting. Quality over quantity, Alek. They seek your undivided attention without distraction. If your love language is acts of service, it’s the little things that make your life easier. Washing the dishes, making coffee in the morning, and running errands, just to name a few. You need to pay attention to this because those with this love language believe actions speak louder than words.”
I jot a reminder in my phone to dig into this later. Vin needs proof, not promises. She has to see my love, not just hear it.
He waits until I’m finished writing and peer back up at him before he continues. “Gifts. This one is pretty straightforward. With this love language, the more effort and thoughtfulness behind the gift, the more it counts. It doesn’t need to be anything extravagant. Make it meaningful. Things that matter and reflect their values. Then you have physical touch. This one is self-explanatory, as well. Cuddling on the couch, hand-holding, hugs, and sometimes sex. When I say sex, that doesn’t mean it’s something that gets used to request sex or push it on their partner. It means listening to your partner’s love dialect. Watch for the touches they’re open to and the ones they find uncomfortable or irritating. If you continue with the negative touches, you’re conveying the opposite of what you’re trying to express: love. Make intimacy a priority. Now, like I said. These are all theories. There will be hundreds of ways to show your partner you love them. This should get you started with fixing what you broke between you and Hayvin. Do your research, find out where you both fall.” Lionel taps the top of his pen against his lips as he stares at me. “There’s one thing we haven’t talked about yet.”
“What’s that?” I ask warily.
“Have you told her you loved her? Not over the phone or text, either. Have you told her in person?”
“Yeah,” I admit with a grimace.
“I don’t like that look, Alek. Where did you tell her? Was she alone?”
I clear my throat and tap my fingers against my thigh. “We were at a restaurant. She wasn’t alone. Her friend, Titan, was there.”
“So, you told her in public while she was with another man?”
“When you put it like that…”
“You’ve really got your work cut out for you.”
“Gee, thanks, Doc. As if I didn’t know that already.”
“Do you believe she finds it hard to trust those three words didn’t come from a place of jealousy?”
His question stops me. Why hadn’t I thought of it before? I said those words to Hayvin for the first time while she was with a friend—an ex who probably never made her feel second best. It’d be easy for her to assume my words were fueled by jealousy, not honesty.
“It’s possible. I could have picked a better time to tell her. She needs to hear it from me when we’re alone.”
“In this redemption journey with her, you need to do things differently. Instead of expressing one love language, you should express all five, saving physical touch for last.” He glances at the watch on his wrist. “Our time is up for today. I want you to work on your love languages. Figure out how you express and receive love, and see if you can determine Hayvin’s. Create a game plan to express those to her, in the order you want to do them. I’d like to hear progress at your next appointment.”
As I drive home, ideas churn in my mind. Gestures she’d never expect from me after everything that’s happened these past three years.
Gift giving.
Tucked away in the back of my closet is a box that might just be the perfect beginning.
Sentimental Sap
Alek
AssoonasIget home from the therapist, I start on the homework Lionel gave me.
A jolt of excitement runs through me at the thought of proving to Hayvin how much she means. I can already see her eyes widen in disbelief when she unwraps the gift I’ve been planning—a collection of moments, memories, and truths I’ve kept to myself. I’m not doing this to win her forgiveness. Of course, I’d welcome it, but what Hayvin truly deserves is honesty. I want her to see our story the way I do, to understand that this gift is me laying my heart open.
Switching jobs a few months back gave me more time at home and the space I needed to step away from David. Losing my best friend hurt like hell, but Jerica was right when she said David is just as messed up as the rest of us. I’m finally facing that truth, even if he refuses to.
I expected David to resist when I pulled away, but our friendship faded without a struggle. At first, the ease of it stung, but now I see this distance is what we both need right now.
I just hope he finds the help he needs, because I’d give anything to have my best friend back one day.
I settle at my desk, grabbing a pen and notepad before firing up my computer. My fingers tap a restless rhythm on the wood, impatience buzzing beneath my skin as the screen lags behind my urgency.
Letting out a sigh, I lean back and stare at the photo of Hayvin and me on my desk. It was snapped just before Halloween, a year into our relationship, while we waited in line for a haunted house with Everleigh and her date. Monsters prowled the crowd seeking people to scare, and I hugged Hayvin from behind, tucking her safely against me. After those fuckers got their damn scare, she laughed up at me, and I couldn’t help but smirk back. Everleigh caught that moment. It’s my favorite photo, even more than the one on my phone. I’ve thought about turning it into a canvas for the wall, but that would have given away just how much she means to me.
So fucking stupid.
God, when did I let myself turn into this version of me?
