In Pearlspective

Dear Friend, I love you. I need you to believe that. It's hard to know what love looks like any more so I need you to trust my love no matter what you hear. I also need you to tell me if  I can love you better. I love you but I'm not a mind reader and I'm not perfect - nobody is. Part of loving you means I care about your health. This virus going around right now - I don't want you to get it and I definitely don't want to give it to you! That's why I don't spend time with you when I'm sick. I love you but I'd rather miss you than make you sick. I guess a lot of folks can be contagious without being sick. After all, I never hung out with someone who was puking their guts out before I got the flu. I suppose that's true of any virus. But what can I do about that? Should I never see you again, even when I feel healthy, just in case I might have something contagious? Perpetual consensual loneliness isn't love, it's trauma. I can't do