i don't want a romance novel, your love is better; honest & true. you're so charming & commendable. i have exceptional experiences with you. you love me so completely. i love your mind, it's enigmatic. i wonder what you're thinking about often. i wonder how you see the world. i love your body, i can't even- it's beautiful. we share stretchmarks in the same places & i think it's surreal. i literally savor my moments with your body. your body is precious to me. & you share it with me, so unabashed. i love how bold you are. & how real you are. you can be crude, but not cruel. i love how you stick up for the underdog, it's heroic. i love that you try not to be harsh with me, even when you're upset with me. i love that you can apologize. i even secretly love that you cry, unashamed. i love your soft, kind heart. i appreciate everything i've learned from you. you're an excellent teacher. i- i even look up to you, & not just literally, also metaphorically. i love all the things we've taught each other. we are constantly learning from one another, it's ineffable. i love how we've grown together. how committed we are to loving each other. how neither of us gives up on the other. how we always find a compromise. thirteen years is longer than some marriages. & if that isn't commitment, i don't know what is. i appreciate all the sacrifices you've made, for me. i admire how hard you try at everything you do, it's unmitigated. you're absolutely immaculate. & there's so much more- i'm simply getting tired, it's three in the morning.