They would fight about how much attention they were supposed to devote to one another, or how much time they’d spend just hanging out together, with Sarah mostly saying she needed more “me” time. She began nitpicking over little "negative" details about his personality.
For his part, Tony would argue for more intimacy. It wasn’t so much the physical intimacy he craved (for they had plenty) but the emotional connection and candor between them. They didn’t seem to be growing in that area, he said.
“Where is our relationship headed?” he asked her.
The question should have prompted Sarah to search within her for an answer. But it didn’t. In truth, Sarah was afraid that if she dug deep enough, her answer might be, “Nowhere.
Our relationship is going nowhere.” The whole situation reminded her of her parents’ own arguments.
Months went by, and their arguing became more frequent and stressful. Tony eventually decided that the relationship was taking too much of a toll on him, and that it was time to end it.
A year after they broke up, Tony met another woman. They eventually got married a few years later and had three kids.
Sarah became even more fearful of love after the breakup, convinced that a lasting love and true marriage didn’t exist—at least, not for her. Now in her forties, she still lives in the same apartment. She tries to go out on dates every now and