-Mom, if I were in love wouldn’t I absolutely know it?

-That depends sweetie. There are different kinds of being in love.

- Like?

- Like there is the comfy best friend let’s build a life together kind of in love and the other kind…

- Which other kind

- It doesn’t matter sweetie. The other kind doesn’t last long and it comes full of heartache and suffering.

-And…

- And it’s evil and bad and you spend the rest of your life broken, violated and in debt for years of useless therapy.

-And…

-It’s the kind where you feel addicted to each other and you can’t get enough of each other and you get butterflies in your tummy when you just stand close to each other. It’s the kind where your mouth waters and you get these aches and you want to crawl up inside of each other. Nothing about the other person is gross to you. You want to see and touch and taste every inch of each other. Every freckle, every bump and bruise and scar. Even kissing their dirty toes feels like love. You could eat each other all up in one bite, for breakfast lunch and supper and…

- Mom?

- Sweetie, go brush your teeth and get ready for bed.

- But it’s only 7 o’clock

- Please go away. Mommy needs to.. I have.. could… close the door on the way out would you?

- But…

- Now.

Photo:Tyler Knott