Three's a Crowd

As I settle into the sunset years of my mid-20s, I've abandoned the practice in favor of more traditional romantic partnerships, like the one I currently have going with Joan Didion's new collection. It's worth noting that engaging in such behavior when you're supposed to be a fully-realized adult can leave you pretty vulnerable to the criticisms of others, particularly those upright gentlemen that wouldn't entertain the idea of having a girl on the side. As my friend Ryan says, "Essentially, I see a spectrum, continuum, whatever, of infidelity and being the 'other woman' is definitely somewhere on that." I disagree, and would never cheat (nor have I, to my knowledge, been cheated on), but I acknowledge that my own moral position won't be (and hasn't been) taken up by every suitor. Experience has afforded me the opportunity to witness where and how damaged relationships falter and I feel I'm richer for it, not morally bankrupt. And I know for certain that the road to romantic bliss is rarely a smooth one.