Types of Love

“Have you ever been in love?” He asked. “Ugh,” I groaned. “I love tech,” I revealed, “oh, and the Internet,” I confessed, “I LOVE the Internet!” He looked disappointed. “You know what I mean,” he said. I sighed. It’s hard to escape the long shadows cast by experiences and expectations. “Love’s inscrutable!” I said, helpfully. “Maybe I’ve never been in a relationship long enough for it to be love?” I asked the universe. He tilted his head as if he were calculating something. “What IS love anyway?” I asked. “Does love have to be an instant transcendence?” “This isn’t going well”, I thought, his silence stood out like a curse in a cathedral. “Let’s go to Dairy Queen!” I suggested, because that ALWAYS makes things better. “I need an ice cream,” I said, as he looked ready to say something but didn't, “cake.” I finished.