DANTE:
Every man wants to be respected in a relationship, be it marriage or not. But what I fear is my partner being scared of me.
After Raven speaks, it is like a haze clears from my eyes. I see her clearly now—the way her body fidgets as she stands in front of me. How have I been missing the signs?
“Raven, I…” The words are stuck in my throat because I have no clue if sorry is the best way to apologize.
“I know you are sorry,” she says in a low tone, lowering her head. “I understand.”
“No!” I reach for her hand. “I do not want you to just understand. It has never been my intention to make you afraid of me or anything like that. All I want is to be respected—but fear? Never.”
I cup her hand, bringing it to my lips and kissing it.
“Please,” I say in between the kisses. “I want to kn
