the most important thing

It comes down to this: I just want someone to come home to. Someone who wants to be around me as much as I want to be around them.

I'm not afraid of being alone, anymore, but when I look ahead and see myself alone, it makes me miserable. That's not what I want from my life.

I want companionship, not a long-distance relationship. I want to have dinner together and talk about life. There's a reason therapists don't like to do their work over the phone. Body language is most of any communication.

I don't need that in all of my romantic relationships, just one. (See? I'm not greedy.)

One person whose shoulder will always be there after a hard day. One person who will be there next to me, so I can fall asleep each night, with whom I can share our daily triumphs and losses.

I do not believe I'm unusual for wanting this. In fact, it's a disturbingly normal desire, which is so often mistaken for the desire to get married. But I don't care about marriage. I don't care about that particular brand of legalities. I just want someone to come home to.