[ It takes him a not insignificant amount of will power not to just laugh when he says he has to scheme to keep his attention, because the only reason he's not constantly attached to him is that he doesn't want to be overbearing. And yet here Emet is, worrying that he needs to work to get him to look at him.

But this is a serious insecurity, so he needs to take it as such. ]

I learned from the best.

But now that you've voiced these feelings we can try potential solutions to them and to break them apart to analyze them.

To start with. I am aware that though you don't doubt my feelings, fulling believing me when I say I love you and I will stay by your side won't be possible any time soon. And that it has nothing to do with me, much less with Caeli.

You don't have to believe you're being unfair because you're feeling threatened by past experience. You're already acknowledging that it's not rational. This will take time.

Caeli is a variable neither of us predicted, but I don't intend to act on this crush. I don't think I'll tell him about it, either, especially because I imagine he won't react well to it. I need to find a way to handle this, but whatever it will be, it's something I'll discuss with you.

And finally ... you already have my attention. The last thing you need to do is scheme to keep it. From now on we will be meeting at the same hour, every day, at the same spot. It doesn't matter what we do, but it'll be time we keep for ourselves alone.

How does that sound? Before we try to go over why you are feeling this way.