"Humans are said to be the only 3-5% of mammals that pair bond."
Liam Everhart was born with a photographic memory - hyperthymesia. Hyperthymesia is a condition that leads people to be able to remember an abnormally large number of their life experiences in vivid detail.
And with the very situation in front of him, he couldn't help but remember a lecture back in high school.
"They say the neural basis for monogamy comes from the neural network we develop as babies when we are being mothered, perhaps that is why we often call our lover: baby."
His family didn't know about this other condition until his preadolescent years.
"But here comes the interesting part, it is said: if you are physical with anyone you aren't sure you want to stay with for the rest of your life, then you damage your ability for your pair bond to last a lifetime."
He remembers most if not all of his high school - from the repetitive lectures to the students cramped in the hallway. But even with his photographic memory, everything seems quite dull.
"How? Like many questions in life, we don't and perhaps will never know the answer."
Dark skin.
Brown eyes.
Curly hair.
Red lips.
That is until she's around.
Vivian.
"You start to learn how to break that bond, or perhaps, that love isn't good. So, learn from the animals that pair bond for life, sex forms the pair bond."
Liam's first time wasn't particularly ideal, and if he could, he would wipe that memory clean.
"So let the physical part of love diverge from someone you want to spend your life with. Then even if you change and mature, you love each other unconditionally...and you can stay together."
Maybe, if he made a time-traveling machine - an unattainable solution - he could travel back in time and tell himself to not do it.
To not be afraid.
To stop putting himself up in a nonexistent box.
But, he knows that's not possible.
What's done is done, and now he has to live with his actions.
"But, similar to life, nothing is perfect. There are times when we need to end relationships and end the suffering...the pain of losing our pair-bond."
Pain - the consequences of his actions.
"There can be genuine reasons to move on...to start a new chapter...and we should show empathy when that arises."
Liam learned to let go - to have her attain her happiness. There isn't happiness in being with someone...abnormal - a disgusting flaw in society...a defective product.
"Liam," she whispers in his ear, "You're overthinking things again."
It's been two years since the divorce.
Liam swallows profoundly, "I'm sorry, Vivian."
Liam and Vivian learned how to grow at their own paces...learn to grow, but not separately - together.
Despite the distance between them, with Vivian in Hong Kong and Liam in France, they never stop their love.
For them, distance only made the heart grows fonder.
And when it grows, it desires more than inconvenient phone calls, pretty picture postcards, and bittersweet letters.
Vivian places a hand on his warm cheek, "I told you to not apologize."
He pouted, his shakey lower lips making it's appearance, "But, what if I hurt you again?"
Vivian smiled and that action itself clench Liam's heart. It's hard to breathe. "Then, how about we try something else?"
His hand clenches onto the blanket below her, "What are you thinking?"
"You like eating chocolate, right?"
He nods.
"Well, dig in."
Vivian moves her hand toward the top of his wet hand and slowly, she moves it downward. Liam complied and follow her action until he reaches his destination.
"Lick it," she breathes out. "This way, I won't get hurt."
For Liam, sex isn't sex nor is it making love. For him, sex is art, much like his runaway masterpieces.
Before it is presented to the audience, we must create the art.
Each breath.
Each stroke.
Everything is carefully calculated down to the detail to bring nothing but pure pleasure.
And the longer the night stretches the more he realizes his previous artworks weren't masterpieces at all.
No.
This.
This woman lying in front of him - wet and bare - is a masterpiece.
"However, we can minimize this by respecting our basic biology - being careful - and choosing wisely whom we give our love to."