The thing that lives in your chest

“You and your partner are getting ready for a night out — you're dressed, they're almost ready, and the mood is easy. While they're finishing up in the bathroom, you find yourself rehearsing something you've been sitting on for weeks: that you want to stop splitting costs so rigidly. Every dinner, every trip, every grocery run gets divided to the dollar, and it's started to feel less like fairness and more like you're business partners. They come out looking great, grab their jacket, and ask if you're ready to go.”