Twisted Dreams

How to Say "I Love You"

Step One: Define

Love, my dear, comes in many different forms. The everlasting way you look at your spouse, for example, is one way. The way you sit at the  counter, watching them talk about their day in wide, sweeping gestures, watching their every facial expression, every movement, every breath. The way there's always room for the two of you in one spot because you fit together perfectly.

Another form of love is the fleeting kind. My dear, have you ever seen somebody pass you on the train station, and you simply turn and watch them go? Have you ever locked eyes with somebody in a shop, if only for a moment, and had it stuck in your mind for the rest of the day? Have you ever passed a window on the street and caught a glimpse of somebody lifting a mug to their lips?

Another form is that which you have for your friends, and your family. The love that knits you together, no matter how far apart you are. Despite your 'sibling rivalry', you wouldn't trade eachother for the world, now, would you?

Step Two: Translate

How do you say 'I love you', my dear? Do you say those three words? Or do you say it another way?

Do you say it in the way you laugh at a joke your friend made? Or in the way you listen to their favorite songs? Or in a completely different and less obvious way, like asking 'How are you?' every time you speak to one another?

In terms of romance, would you buy flowers, or pick them? Would you watch a movie with your spouse, curled up in bed, or go on a fancy date, laughing over wine? Would you give them something memorable and precious on their birthday, or go on the adventure of a lifetime with them?

Or do you simply say, 'I love you'?

Then, how do *they* say 'I love you'? If you don't know how they say it, you might not hear it. If *they* don't know how *you* say it, they might not hear it, either.

Step Three: Speak

Tell them how you feel, my dear, in a way they'll understand. Speak their tongue, even if it's clunky at first, and let them know. Saying love is the best way to grow, so say it every time you get the chance. Tell them.