Couples

There are two students sitting across from me in the library, a guy and a girl. I've seen them together a lot, and judging by the way they interact, with words flowing freely on all subjects and the occasional display of affection, I have gradually decided that they are a couple. This particular couple is one that I particularly enjoy observing. They seem evenly matched in terms of intelligence, sense of humor, dedication to their individual pursuits, and interest in one another's lives.

I pay attention to the couples around me. I always notice when two people are together, and without meaning to, I take mental notes on the quality of their connection. It interests me to see how they relate to another, and what they seem to see in each other - what it is that holds them together. I like to watch the arc of a relationship, from its euphoric beginnings and on through the steadfast, stable sharing of life's many stories. Sometimes I notice that a couple has turned back into two singles; maybe eventually I'll see one of the singles with a new person, and again, my curiosity is stimulated. How does this new one answer to the empty space left behind by the old one? What does the new person represent? A distraction? A hope against hope? True love, this time? Do either of them know?

I wonder about these things. I also wonder about myself, and the empty space around me, and the galaxies inside my skull.