It wasn’t the first attempt I’d witnessed, and wouldn’t be the last. But I hadn’t given up on her.

I opened up my apartment to the nobility I still recognized. She hit the couch while I hit up dating apps to keep my personal interests out of her life.

You start to realize that the last thing addicts need is more compulsion. Romance requires an

honest foundation

Perhaps democracy does as well. I could see that she was teetering on the edge as she would groan and sweat into the night.

But she got better, at least I thought she did. Enough so that I loaned her my car that winter to keep it out of the New York snow, letting her take it to Florida to visit family for the holidays.

questionable quality!

Questionable judgement

When the spring came and I asked for the car back, the texts became less frequent. My urgency increased but to no effect.