He doesn’t see a problem with it. Kicking you a little cash to cuddle for an hour and a half, it’s less complicated this way. Adult relationships take time to foster and maintain, time he doesn’t have.

Just an hour and a half every week. For the last twenty-three weeks.

It’s all transactional, he knows this by the bank statements. But, when you hold him like that, like a photograph, so carefully by the edges—as if he’s something fragile; it feels priceless. It’s just less complicated this way.