‘It must be wonderful to be loved by someone,’ I said to Amie.
Looking at a couple walking down the street holding hands while we were buying some fries at the food truck near our offices.
‘Like you have someone to talk to, shoulders to lean on when you’re sad, and arms that make you feel safe. It’s just wonderful.’
‘I bet it is, Josh. But have you ever heard about being over-loved?’” asked Amie.
‘Never heard of it, dude. Is that even a thing?’
‘Probably not,’ she admitted with a laugh. ‘I just made that up.’
‘Do you accept a person as a payment?’ I said jokingly to the fries person.
‘Of course, we do! But my wife would kill me after.’
And then we three laugh at it out loud.
Then we walked while eating the fries towards our own places. ‘You know, I’ve actually been there before,’ she confessed.
‘What? someone ever actually accepted you as payment?’
‘Not that thing, Josh! But the being over-loved part.’
‘Dude, you gotta be more clear next time,’ I chuckled. ‘But isn’t that a good thing? Having someone love you more than you need?’
‘I thought it was, but turns out it’s not.’
‘What happened?’ I asked out of curiosity.
‘When they love you, they’re all about wanting what’s best and having you by their side 24/7. At first, it’s all warm and fuzzy, you know? But then it becomes overwhelming when they do it too much.’
‘What were they doing that was too much?’
‘They start putting limits on you, like forbidding you from trying new things you’re into because they’re scared something bad might happen. They want you glued to their side and refuse something that makes you distanced like going far for adventure or your career,’ Amie explained seriously.
‘And that’s when being loved hurts you instead. When someone is not a home where we are free to do anything, but a prison that keeps us chained.’
‘That’s heavy stuff,’ I nodded in agreement.
‘Therefore some people do many new things or go to many places after breaking up like hiking or traveling around the world. Because they see it as a chance to reclaim their freedom.’
As we mulled over the complexities of love and freedom, we didn’t realize we had finished our fries.
‘Oh, so that’s why Nolan dropped out of college and started doing some cryptos after his breakup,’ I added, connecting the dots.
‘Wait, Nolan from biology class? He’s just stupid dumbass,’ Amie laughed. ‘He once argued with the professor about humans evolving into dolphins if we spent enough time underwater.’
We both burst into laughter at the memory, shaking our heads at Nolan’s absurdities and before we knew it, we’d arrived at our residence.
‘Alright, that’s a wrap. Thanks for the fries, Josh. Catch you at the office tomorrow,’ Amie said, heading inside her house.
‘Yeah, see you then,’ I replied, waving as I continued walking down the street for a few more blocks.
As I walked, I found myself lost in thought, pondering the relevance of being loved in the face of all the complexities we had just discussed.
‘I think evolving into dolphins would make more sense,’ I mumbled.
