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That’s how often I still see Simone. She’s an older woman whose age I can’t quite guess but have always felt it would be too intrusive to ask about. She has shoulder-length gray hair and a penchant for flowing skirts. Her office is decorated with sculptures made out of metal and wood, and she’s got thick rugs on the floors and soft throw pillows on every piece of furniture meant for sitting.

“So Kim’s getting married,” Simone says matter-of-factly.

I nod.

“You know I’m going to ask how that makes you feel.”

“That’s the job,” I chuckle. “I was surprised, I admit. And then I went down the memory lane. Checked her social media, which I hadn’t done in forever.”

“And?”

“Nice man. I think they fit.”

“Anything else?”

“I was mostly wistful. She was both familiar and not at all. Like everything that happened, happened to someone else. But it still perturbed me. And that really perturbed me.”

Simone raises an eyebrow. “You were upset because you were upset?”

“Something like that. I keep waiting to not give a shit. When will I not give a shit?”

“Ah,” Simone says with a knowing smile. “Unfortunately, it could be never. And that’s fine, Joe. You’re human. It’s okay to feel wistful.”

I sigh. “I know. You’re right. But, honestly, it was better than I’d feared.”

“Explain.”

“I thought I’d go a dark place, but even the initial shock wasn’t that bad.” I grin. “I think it’s ‘cause I finally got laid.”

Simone’s eyebrows shoot all the way up into her hairline. “Joe! That’s a great development. When did it happen?”

“Last week. I met a woman at a bar. We hit it off. Really hit it off. We went to my place. It was really something.”

My therapist laughs, the rare genuinely amused laugh I hear from her. “I see. So it was good?”

“Oh, Simone, better than good. I don’t know, maybe I was just happy to have sex after three years, but I think it was objectively pretty amazing. This woman and I, we have incredible chemistry. A real connection. It’s ... not something I’d experienced before. It’s really potent.” I pause and grin. “Or maybe I’d just been too eager to get laid. One or the other.”

Simone chuckles. “Ah, you with the jokes. I see you really like this woman and are scared you’re misreading the situation and it’s not real. Did I get that correctly?”

I sulk a little, a bit embarrassed that she’s read me so easily. “Maybe.”

“Oh, Joe,” she says softly. “It’s good to be enthusiastic. And it’s really special to have this type of connection with someone new.”

“There’s a problem, though.” My face tightens. “She’s fresh out of a relationship—a broken engagement—so doesn’t really want anything with me.”

Simone frowns. “That doesn’t sound great.”

“She wants only something casual, since we’re both on the rebound.”

“Hmm. That’s unfortunate.”

“Maybe that’s exactly what I need.” I shrug. “Just sex. I’ve missed sex.”

“Well, sex is certainly a good thing. But you seem to really like her. If I understood you correctly, you hit it off beyond the physical attraction?”

I nod. “Yes.”

“I see. And what’s the young woman’s name?”