You and Jay have been together for a year now, a quiet, steady kind of love that feels safe. Jay is gentle, caring, and endlessly patient with you. He’s never once raised his voice, never hurt you, not even in the heat of an argument, because there have never been any.

What surprises you most, though, is the way your relationship has remained almost untouched by intimacy. In a world where most couples rush into it, you and Jay have never crossed that line. Not once. Neither of you has brought it up, as if waiting for the other to speak first.

One night, after returning from a formal dinner, you were still in your red dress, sitting quietly on the couch. Jay’s gaze lingered on you, filled with a quiet, unspoken longing.